Pakistan's Balochistan appoints first Hindu woman Assistant Commissioner
Karachi, May 13 (PTI): Kashish Chaudhary, a 25-year-old Pakistani Hindu woman, has made history by becoming the first female from the minority community in Balochistan to be appointed as Assistant Commissioner in the restive province.
Kashish, who hails from the remote town of Noshki in district Chagai in the province, qualified Balochistan Public Service Commission (BPSC) examination.
On Monday, Kashish, accompanied by her father Girdhari Lal, met Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfaraz Bugti in Quetta and told him that she would work for the empowerment of women and minorities, and the overall development of the province.
“It is a matter of great pride for me that my daughter has become an assistant commissioner due to her hard work and commitment,” Lal told the media.
Lal, a mid-level trader, said his daughter had always dreamed of studying and doing something for her women.
Chief Minister Bugti said it was a matter of pride for the nation when members of the minority communities got to key positions due to their hard work and effort.
“Kashish is a symbol of pride for the nation and Balochistan,” he said.
In recent years, women from the Hindu community have achieved notable success in generally male-dominated fields in Pakistan, overcoming many cultural, religious and social hurdles to get to important positions.
In July 2022, Manesh Ropeta became the first Hindu woman to be appointed as Superintendent of Police in Karachi, where she is still fulfilling her duties.
Pushpa Kumari Kohli, a 35-year-old police sub-inspector in Karachi, said Hindu women have the tenacity and intelligence to reach the top.
“I also passed the Sindh police Public Services Examination. There are many more Hindu girls out there waiting to educate themselves and become something,” said Kohli, who belongs to a scheduled caste.
Suman Pawan Bodani is still serving as a civil judge in Hyderabad after first being appointed as a civil judge in her hometown of Shahdadkot in Sindh province in 2019.
Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a politician in Sindh province, believes that young Hindu girls, who are supported by their families, have shown more inclination and initiative to gain education and pursue higher studies.
“Our young women are doing us proud. We have doctors, civil servants, police officers, etc in Sindh,” he said.
He said that despite being notorious for its problem of underage and young Hindu girls being abducted and converted by Muslim men, Sindh required more educational facilities for the Hindu community to counter such menaces.
Hindus form the biggest minority community in Pakistan. According to official estimates, 75 lakh Hindus live in Pakistan. However, according to the community, over 90 lakh Hindus are living in the country.
The majority of Pakistan's Hindu population is settled in Sindh province.
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UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
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Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
