Denying women jobs in deceased father's quota discriminatory: SC
Pakistan
Declares a woman eligible for getting a job in place of her deceased father
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared a girl eligible for getting a job in place of her deceased father, ruling depriving married women of jobs in the quota of their deceased father is illegal and discriminatory.
The court gave the verdict in a case in which a woman was denied a government job after the death of her father. She was dismissed from the job by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government.
The Supreme Court issued a written decision in the case of depriving a girl of a job after the death of her father, who was a government employee.
Justice Mansoor Ali Shah issued a nine-page written decision. The Supreme Court declared the woman eligible for the job in place of the father.
The court wrote that the decision to dismiss the daughter of a government employee from the job is declared null and void, ordering the department concerned to restore the applicant's appointment with all previous privileges.
The court wrote that not giving jobs to married daughters on their father's quota is discriminatory, ruling a woman's identity, legal rights, and autonomy do not end after marriage.
‘Changing the rules through an explanatory letter by a section officer is illegal, and such executive instructions cannot be above the law.
‘Excluding daughters from the quota of a deceased servant on the basis of marriage is discriminatory, and this practice is a violation of Articles 25, 27, and 14 of the Constitution.
‘Marriage does not end a woman's legal status, her identity, or her autonomy. These rights of a woman cannot be dependent on marriage.
‘A woman's financial autonomy is a fundamental right, and the Constitution gives individual rights to every citizen instead of basing them on marital units or social roles, and even in Islam, a woman has full control over her property, income, and financial affairs,’ the Supreme Court said.
The court declared null and void the decision of dismissing the girl from her job and ordered restoration of her job with all previous perks and privileges.
