Pakistan Minister Proposes To Make Hijab Mandatory In Colleges; Government Rubbishes It

On the day of the European Court of Justice’s ruling allowing workplace ban on the Islamic headscarf and other religious symbols, exactly the opposite was being proposed by a minister in Pakistan for girls attending government colleges.

Punjab Higher Education Minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani proposed to make hijab mandatory for government college girls and offer them “extra” marks for covering themselves up. “Observance of hijab should be made mandatory for college girls,” The Express Tribune quoted Gilani as saying yesterday (14 March). He added that hijab-wearing students who fail to fulfil the required attendance would benefit from the education department’s decision as 5 per cent grace marks would be accorded to them.

This, however, set off a furore. Even the Government of Punjab moved quickly to deny having made the hijab mandatory for girls at the province’s colleges.

Information Secretary Raja Jahangir said the minister could not make such rules on his own without the cabinet’s approval.

With Inputs From ANI.