LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi has said that the Punjab government has fixed two percent quota for the minority communities in the higher educational institutes besides directions have also been issued to strictly implement five percent employment quota.

The chief minister stated this while speaking as a chief guest at a cake cutting ceremony organized at the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) to celebrate the Diwali festival. The CM along with the members of the Hindu community jointly sliced the cake. Elahi was presented with an ‘Ajrak’, a special piece of cloth traditionally presented to the recipient as a token of love.

Talking to the participants, the CM said the minority students are being awarded scholarships from Matric to PhD level in the state-run educational institutions, adding that two percent quota has been fixed for the minority communities in the higher educational institutions.

He added that directions have been issued to ensure implementation of the five percent quota in the employments for the minority communities, adding that 50 percent scholarships under the educational scholarship scheme in the Central Punjab, 35 percent in South Punjab and 15 percent in the Northern Punjab are being awarded to the minority students.

He apprised that scholarships of up to Rs 50,000 are being awarded to the minority students obtaining 50 percent marks from Matric to higher education level. The CM was off the view that participation in each other happiness promotes tolerance and brotherhood and safeguarding the rights of minorities is the responsibility of the state.

According to Elahi, all the minorities, including the Hindu community, have equal rights and the Hindu community is being provided equal opportunities to attain higher education. He outlined that giving better treatment and respect to the minorities is the essence of the religion of Islam.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022