The Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Mufti Abdul Shakur, has reportedly rejected a top candidate for the appointment of director general of Hajj because she was a woman.
The appointment became a mystery considering that a female candidate cleared the written exam and interview and topped the audit and accounting group of DG Hajj. At the same time, the Minister of Religion allegedly asked the interview panel not to let female officials pass.
Even after two months, the recruitment process for two vacancies in the ministry is still not completed. Last September, tests and interviews were conducted for the position, which became vacant on November 30, 2022.
Twenty officers from class 20 took the written exam for the post of DG Hajj. Saima Saba from Audit and Accounts Group scored 71 marks on the test, while Amjad Khan from Officer Management Group scored 61.
According to documents reported by the local news channel, ‘Geo News,’ the PM house has been informed that the successful candidates by gender and seek permission to retake the exam. However, which was rejected.
However, the minister has found a way out; during the interview held on October 26 last year, he conspired with the interview panel to fail the two successful candidates.
During the 48-minute-long interview, the religious minister kept asking Saima different questions. Finally, he eliminated a top scorer with zero points. After the episode.
An audio clip surfaced purporting to be about Abdul Shakur and the women’s candidate, where a minister can be heard asking her about the meaning of the Dupatta. He also asked what impact she would have on countries worldwide by choosing not to wear a dupatta.
The minister has since spoken out about allegations that female candidates were illegally recorded during interviews and that an investigation will be launched. “The sound is reproduced in a distorted way,” says Mufti Shakoor. However, he added that Islam respects women, so how can he or anyone else be prejudiced against women?
It should be noted that the Islamabad High Court is hearing a petition against alleged gender discrimination.
