Privatization of SWM department of CDGL is sexual harassment risk for Christian women in Punjab

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Lahore, Pakistan: July 19, 2011. (PCP) The government of Punjab trashed government jobs of more than one thousand Christian men and women employed in Solid Waste Management SWM department of City District Government Lahore CDGL in month on July 2011, without any notice or approval of Punjab Assembly. The CDGL not called any tender for privatization of SWM department defying rules set for Privatization by government of Pakistan and handed over to one Private company named Lahore Waste Management Company on yearly contract of 2.5 billion Pakistani Rupees. It was first strange privatization where CDGL will pay such a heavy amount to LWMC which is double than budget of CDGL which it was paying to their employees in Solid Waste Management SWM department. The sources close to administration of CGDL revealed to Pakistan Christian Post that Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Chief Minister of Punjab, who is leader of Pakistan Muslim League PML (Nawaz group) which is ruling Punjab province of Pakistan, wanted to benefit his PML (N) leaders and planned to privatize SWM department. The LWMC which will receive 2.5 billion rupees yearly from CDGL have no long term experience to run Waste Management of such a big city of Lahore Metropolitan. There were Christian employees in SWM department with more than two thousand Christian women who used to clean roads and streets of Lahore city for their living. Before privatization of SWM, the Christian women employees have been reporting to Christian leaders that Muslim supervisors of SWM sexually harass them and force them for indecent relationship with them and with their other Muslim friends. There were also reports that some Muslim residents of Lahore were also sexually harassing them during their duty of cleaning streets. The sexual harassment or gang rape cases of Christian employees of SWM were not reported to police due to social values while raped women in Pakistani society loose respect and mostly confidence of their husband and family. When SWM department was part of CDGL, the duty hours were only in day time starting from 5; 00 AM to 3; 00 PM, but life of Christian women employees was miserable due to sexual advances of Muslim Supervisors, their friends and roadside businessmen. There are about 150 Union Councils of Lahore city and after privatization of SWM, the LWMC have expanded duty hours round the clock in 8 hourly 3 shifts. The Muslim supervisors in LWMC are putting women in night shifts and Christian women are at greater risk of sexual harassment and gang rapes by Muslim supervisors and other Muslims. The forcible sex or gang rape with Christian women on work places by Muslims is at rise because Muslims go unpunished while Christians are very poor to whom Muslim rapists force to withdraw police cases if any woman lodges complain with police. The Pakistani police which have Muslim policemen and officers always put pressure on Christian women victims of rape and files cases charge sheets giving benefit to accused Muslim rapists which enable them to walk free from courts. There are more than dozen departments in CDGL where Muslims are employed but same were not privatized instead of SWM in which majority of Christians were employed.

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"Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" By Nazir S Bhatti

On demand of our readers, I have decided to release E-Book version of "Trial of Pakistani Christian Nation" on website of PCP which can also be viewed on website of Pakistan Christian Congress www.pakistanchristiancongress.org . You can read chapter wise by clicking tab on left handside of PDF format of E-Book.

nazirbhattipcc@aol.com , pakistanchristianpost@yahoo.com