SRINAGAR, June 26 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) leader and former minister Aijaz Ahmad Khan on Friday said the government in J&K has inflicted systematic discrimination against minority communities including Sikhs and Schedule Tribes by completely ignoring them in the nominations of members for Jammu and Kashmir Public Service Commission (PSC).

In a statement issued to KNS, Khan said that it is for the first in the history of Jammu and Kashmir that not a single member has been nominated from the Sikh or Scheduled Tribes to the PSC, thus giving no representation to these communities in the apex recruitment body.

“The Government has reconstituted the PSC after nominating six members to it. But the communities like Sikhs and STs have completely been ignored which is brazenly against the affirmative obligation of the government to prevent any discrimination with the rights of members of minorities to equality before the law,” Khan observed.

The JKAP leader said that Jammu and Kashmir is the only State in northwest India with a considerable share of Scheduled Tribes which are around 12 % of the total population as per the census 2011. “The STs are found in all parts of J&K and giving no representation to this community is a gross injustice with it,” Khan remarked.

Similarly, he said that not a single member from Sikh community has been nominated to the PSC. “The government must induct the best brains from the minority communities as per their population ratio instead of making this Commission a political arm,” he observed.

Stressing on effective participation of minorities in public life, the JKAP leader said that the government should take measures to boost the confidence of ethnic minorities by giving them a chance to serve in all statutory bodies in the State.

“The right to equality guaranteed in our constitution should be implemented in letter and spirit and the minorities in J&K should not feel that they are living in some monarchical state. Government must take a call on this important matter and nominate a few members from STs and Sikh and Pandit Community,” he demanded. (KNS)