QUETTA: The Balochistan Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution demanding an increase in the women’s quota in all government departments from 5 to 33 per cent and establishment of a separate women’s directorate at the division level for resolution of issues faced by women while performance their duties.

The resolution was moved by BNP-Mengal lawmaker Shakilla Naveed Dehwar.

In her resolution, Ms Dehwar said that Baloc­histan was the largest province of the country in terms of land area was concerned and a large number of women were working in government departments in 35 districts of the province scattered far and wide, but despite the passage of seven decades the government had not established a separate directorate for women due to which all female government employees had to travel to Quetta, hundreds of kilometers away from the place of their work for the resolution of their work-related issues.

She said that the government should start establishing a women’s directorate in the education department and senior female officers should be appointed there so that women employees’ issues could be resolved at the divisional headquarters level.

Establishment of a separate directorate at division level sought

The resolution further said that the quota of women in the government departments was just five pc which should be increased to 33pc for giving more representation to women in government jobs.

“The female employees are also not appointed on important posts which is a discrimination against them despite female officers showing best performance,” Ms Dehwar said.

The parliamentary secretary on woman affairs, Mahjabeen Sherran, Molvi Noorullah and other lawmakers supported the resolution and said that the women’s quota in the assembly should be increased up to 50pc.

Later, the resolution was adopted by the house.

PkMAP MPA Nasarullah Zerey moved a resolution, demanding the provincial government to allocate at least Rs10 billion grant for the financial support of public sector universities of the province which were facing acute financial crisis.

The universities were unable to pay salaries and pensions of their employees due to the shortage of funds, he added.

Speaking on the resolution, Mr Zerey said that the federal and provincial governments were not taking steps to resolve financial crisis of the universities, which was worsening with each passing day.

He demanded that the federal government should double the development and recurring budget of universities and the HEC should allocate Baloc­histan’s share according to the NFC Award.

“The provincial government should allocate at least Rs10bn for the financial support of the public sector universities and increase 10pc every year,” he said.

The federal government should announce Rs3bn and the provincial government Rs2bn bailout package for each public sector university of Balochistan, the lawmaker added.

He also demanded appointment of HEC chairman by rotation.

Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2023