ISLAMABAD: May 13, 2016. (By Arif Gill) The religious biased against minority’s faith groups recently expressed by some officials of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government not only negates the principles of equality but is also damaging to national unity and harmony among the people of Pakistan. The reported briefing to provincial secretary Heath in Peshawar by District Medical Officers and other officials of the health department is the shameful expression of this particular mindset. The news regarding; ‘The appointment of Muslims as sweepers on political basis has been badly affecting cleanliness at the public sector hospitals of the province as most of them think it against their status to brush latrines’ was published in newspapers on May 10, 2016. This was expressed by Romana Bashir, Executive Director Peace and Development Foundation (PDF) along with other social workers while giving a press statement on this specific issue. They said that during the said briefing by health department officials the lower cadre jobs like sweepers were derogatorily linked with religious minorities terming that such jobs should be the responsibility to be fulfilled by one particular religious minority (Christians). The representatives from minorities’ said that this mindset prevailing at institutional level is a worst example of religious discrimination that have a negative fallout on entire society and it spurs on the divisions in society on religious and class basis and promotes religious hatred as well. They added further that Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak in a statement issued during the month of July 2013 had also expressed similar thinking while linking lower cadre jobs with religious minorities. Later, on strong protest by CSOs the explanation was issued terming that the statement was misquoted but now the officials of his government has yet again expressed same retrogressive approach. The representatives of CSOs regretted that instead of implementing job quota reserved for minorities from grad 1 to 16 in its true spirit, it was only considered for the post of sweepers. The other ignorance these officials have shown by terming people from religious minorities as migrants whereas these people are sons and daughters of the soils since centuries. They said that it’s unfortunate that at one hand Imran Khan, chairman PTI claimed that religious minorities will be treated as VIPs and at other, officials of his government hurting the sentiments of religious minorities in such derogatory manner. While demanding the fair implementation on job quota for religious minorities, the representatives of CSOs urged Prime Minister and government of Pakistan to take notice of expression of this mindset which is unjust as well as retrogressive. They said the objective of creating harmony and an environment of unity in the country cannot be achieved till ensuring equal citizenship and respect for all religious minorities. Likewise, they added, dividing people on the basis of religion or class wouldn’t auger well for sustainable peace in the country.