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With reference to its previous direct requests, the Committee notes the information supplied by the Government in its reports.

1. Regarding the employment of religious and ethnic minorities, the Committee notes with interest the establishment and terms of reference of a 15-member National Commission for Minorities comprising secretaries of ministries, members of national and provincial assemblies and one notable of the minority community. The Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply information on the activities of the National Commission for Minorities including any reports or studies undertaken at the request of the Commission and the results achieved, in particular with regard to laws, procedures and grievances concerning discrimination towards minorities which are areas specifically listed in the Commission's terms of reference. The Government is also requested to supply with its next report any reports or studies relevant to education, training, employment, occupation and conditions of work undertaken by the Minorities Affairs Wing of the federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Minorities Affairs, the Advisory Council for Minorities Affairs functioning under the auspices of the Ministry and District Minorities Committees referred to in the Government's previous report.

2. Noting that the Government merely repeats that 6 per cent of all vacancies in the federal services are reserved for minorities - and backward classes according to earlier government reports - the Committee would be grateful if the Government would supply detailed information on current measures taken in respect of education, vocational training, employment, occupation and conditions of work concerning the scheduled castes or backward classes.

3. The Committee notes with interest the detailed information supplied on the achievements of the Sixth Five-Year Plan (1983-88) for the improvement of women, in particular: the upgrading of the Women's Division to a fully-fledged Ministry of Women's Development; the reservation of 5 per cent of the vacancies in government departments for women; the establishment of the Legal Rights Committee to examine laws which may be discriminatory against women with a view to their amendment; the establishment of the Computer Training Centre in Islamabad; the establishment of women's studies centres in various universities; and the preparation of a draft "First National Policy for Women" in collaboration with the International Labour Office and UNICEF.

The Committee would be grateful if the Government would continue to supply information on the implementation and operation of the above activities concerning women workers. In particular, it requests the Government to provide information on the adoption of the First National Policy for Women and the progress of the Women's Legal Rights Committee in carrying out its task of examining laws which discriminate against women and in the amendment of such laws.

The Committee also requests the Government to supply in its next report detailed information on the Government's Seventh Five-Year Plan, as well as measures taken to follow up the Plan and the results achieved in promoting equality of opportunity and treatment between men and women in employment and occupation.