News Detail
Event Title: Senator Danesh Kumar, Convener Parliamentary Committee on Minority CAUCUS Presiding over a Meeting of the Committee at Parliament House Islamabad.
Event Date: 2026-05-11
The meeting of the “Minority Caucus” was held today at Parliament House, Islamabad, under the chairmanship of Senator Danesh Kumar. The meeting was attended by Members of the National Assembly, including Dr. Nelson Azeem, Isphanyar M. Bhandara, Ramesh Lal, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, and Neelam Kumari.
The Additional Inspector General (AIG) of Balochistan Police briefed the forum on the department’s sanctioned and serving strength. It was informed that the total sanctioned strength of the department is 49,414, while the present serving strength stands at 43,918, leaving 5,496 vacancies. The Committee was further informed that 32,942 sanctioned posts of the Ex-Levies Force have recently been merged into the Balochistan Police, and the process of integration of employees is currently underway.
The AIG also briefed the forum regarding recruitment procedures for the posts of DSPs, ASIs, constables, and Class-IV employees. It was informed that recruitment for senior officers is conducted through the Federal Public Service Commission, while recruitment for lower staff is carried out directly by the department on a merit basis.
Responding to the concerns, the AIG stated that the department is committed to implementing the government’s policy of a 5% minority quota and that minority quotas are clearly mentioned in all recruitment advertisements.
Senator Danesh Kumar further raised objections regarding vacancies reserved for minorities in the constable category. He noted that out of the total sanctioned strength of 27,972 constables in Balochistan Police, 1,142 posts are reserved for minorities; however, only 440 positions have been filled while 702 vacancies remain vacant. The forum recommended that minority quota vacancies should be advertised separately to ensure their timely filling.
Dr. Nelson Azeem also recommended that the 5% quota policy should be implemented in Class-IV positions in the same manner as it is observed for higher posts. The issue of non-compliance with minority quota policies by provincial departments was also brought to the notice of the Ministry of Human Rights, which was directed to write to all provinces to ensure implementation of minority quotas.
The Chairman Minority Caucus expressed displeasure over the performance of the Establishment Division for failing to provide comprehensive data regarding vacant and filled minority quota seats across ministries and departments. It was informed that all ministries, attached departments, and autonomous bodies had been requested to furnish the relevant data, which is still awaited. Representatives of the Establishment Division assured the Committee that the data would be provided after June 2026.
The Committee also discussed the alleged kidnapping case of Kiran, a Christian girl from Lahore. The City Police Officer (CPO) Rawalpindi, representing the Inspector General of Punjab Police, informed the forum that an FIR had been registered at Youhanabad Police Station and that Kiran had appeared before the police, stating that she had married Rashid Mashi of her own free will. It was further informed that both individuals later appeared before the court, and after recording their statements, the court allowed them to leave.
Dr. Nelson Azeem challenged the police version of events and maintained that the girl was a minor. He stated that the law permits marriage only after attaining the age of eighteen years and alleged that the girl’s parents were denied access to her after she was recovered by the police. He also alleged misconduct by police officials toward the girl’s mother.
The CPO Rawalpindi informed the Committee that Punjab Police is monitoring child and women-related cases on a 24/7 basis throughout the province. Meanwhile, the DIG Investigation Lahore, who joined the meeting via Zoom, stated that the complaint had been lodged by Kiran’s uncle, who had mentioned her age as 17 years in the FIR registered on April 8, 2026. He further informed the forum that during a meeting with her parents at the local police station, Kiran refused to accompany them and reiterated that she had married Rashid Mashi willingly.
Dr. Nelson Azeem rejected the police statements and reiterated that Kiran had worked as a domestic employee at his residence and he personally knew her age. He emphasized that investigating officers must properly verify the age of minors in such sensitive cases.
Members of the Minority Caucus unanimously stressed the importance of age verification before facilitating parties in marriage-related cases. Senator Danesh Kumar questioned whether police authorities were not obligated to verify the age and CNIC details of both parties before allowing a marriage to proceed.
Upon the recommendation of the Minority Caucus, the Committee directed the concerned authorities to reinvestigate the matter in light of the Christian Marriage Law and present a detailed report in the next meeting.