LAHORE: The Punjab government has rejected a proposal to make hijab mandatory for college girls, hours after a statement by the provincial higher education minister.
The issue arose on Tuesday when Punjab Higher education Minister Syed Raza Gillani proposed that college girls wearing hijab be given five per cent attendance relaxation.
“We want to give an incentive to the girls for wearing hijab,” said the minister.
But a spokesman for the provincial government quickly rejected the report, saying no such decision had been taken or was being considered by the provincial government.
“There is no policy to make hijab mandatory in the colleges and the government of Punjab strongly rejects any such policy”.
Speaking to private Tv channel, the minster clarified that it was only a proposal and no final decision has been taken in this regard.
“My statement was misreported. No decision was taken in this regard and it is only a proposal. There were 5-6 other proposals as well but media only highlighted this one”, he said.
Reacting to the news on Twitter, Asifa Bhutto Zardari, the younger daughter of Co-Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Asif Ali Zardari said, “and what will the boys do? What will students of a different religion do? Why does wearing a Hijab impact grades/marks?”
