Two men from minority Hindu community in Pakistan set to join federal civil service

Islamabad:Two men from the minority Hindu community have qualified to join the federal civil service of Pakistan, where representation of such groups in government jobs is historically low.

Jeevan Rebari and Khem Chand Jandora, both from Sindh province, were among the 170 candidates qualified to join the Central Superior Services (CSS) following the declaration of results by the Federal Public Service Commission (FPSC) on Thursday.

With a total population of 3.8 million, Hindus are the largest minority community in Pakistan, mostly residing in Sindh province, according to the 2023 population census.

Minority representation in Pakistan’s CSS is historically low, prompting the government to launch initiatives like the special training programme in 2025 to increase inclusion.

According to the FPSC, 12,792 people across the country appeared in the written examinations, out of which 355 passed, and the total number of selected candidates stood at 170 after further rounds.

According to the official data, 123 seats reserved for minorities are vacant, which further highlights the importance of these men making it to the top list.

Khem Chand’s parents had to take loans at high interest rates and sell jewellery for their son’s education, while Jeevan, due to a lack of resources, took shelter in a gurdwara and fulfilled his needs from langar, according to a BBC report.

Khem Chand belongs to the ‘Jandora community’, it added.

Jandora, the Sindhi community derives their name from "Jand", which refers to the heavy stone mill. The community used to run this mill to grind wheat and sell the flour they made.

Khem Chand’s father was the first "revolutionary" of this community because pursuing education was considered rebellion and betrayal of the ancestral work.

He said that to meet the expenses of his education, his mother sold her jewellery, and his father took loans from private banks at high interest rates.

Jeevan Rebari's success is also special because he did not resort to the minority quota, but achieved success on general merit for higher studies.

Hailing from a community which historically was meant to raise livestock and wander from village to village for fodder and water, he received his education up to university from government institutions.

He did his LLB from the Law Department of Sindh University in 2021 and then went to Lahore to prepare for the competitive exam. Jeevan gave his first shot in 2023.

CSS has 12 groups from the Foreign Service to the Postal Service, and Rajendra Menghwar became the first Hindu PSP (Police Service of Pakistan) officer after the 2022 results.

The success of Rajendra, who became the first PSP officer in 2021, further encouraged him to join this field and be an example for others.

While the constitution guarantees equal rights and a 5 per cent quota exists for minorities in federal jobs, their actual representation remains under the quota limit.