A provincial government in Pakistan has appointed a Christian officer as the province’s first-ever Christian Deputy Commissioner, assigning her to lead a major district, marking a significant milestone toward greater representation of religious minorities in Pakistan’s civil service.

According to an official notification issued by the Chief Secretary Sindh on April 12, Sarah Javed, an officer of the Pakistan Administrative Service (PAS) in Grade 18, has been transferred from the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, where she served as Deputy Secretary, and posted with immediate effect as Collector/Deputy Commissioner, Sanghar District in the Sindh province of Pakistan.

A 2014 qualifier of the civil services examination, Javed brings more than a decade of field and administrative experience to her new role. She has remarkably served as an Assistant Commissioner in the provincial capital Karachi’s Saddar and SITE areas, and in Hyderabad district. She also served for over a year as Additional Deputy Commissioner-I in Tharparkar, one of the most underdeveloped districts in Sindh.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Javed played a vital role in managing response efforts in Karachi’s District South, coordinating healthcare logistics, implementing safety protocols, and working closely with frontline workers. Her performance earned her national recognition and an award for exceptional public service.

Her appointment is being widely hailed as a landmark achievement for the Pakistani Christian community, a religious minority that has long contributed to the Muslim nation’s development despite facing systemic challenges, including faith-based persecution and religious discrimination.

A symbol of progress

Pakistani Christian circles and social media users declared Javed’s appointment as a beacon of hope for equal opportunity for all communities in public service.

“We welcome the Sindh government’s appointment of a Christian officer as the Deputy Commissioner of Sanghar District. It is expected that her leadership in Sanghar District will bring fresh energy to local governance, particularly in areas like healthcare, education, and inclusive community development,” said Christian lawmaker in the Punjab Assembly, Ejaz Alam Augustine.

A former minister for human rights and minorities in Punjab, Augustine said that he hoped to see more Christians joining the civil services of Pakistan.

“The late Shahbaz Bhatti was instrumental in getting a 5% quota for religious minorities in government jobs while during my term as minister, I worked hard to get a 2% quota for minorities in higher education public institutions in Punjab. The objective of both quotas was to ensure that our marginalized Christian community and other minority groups are able to play a constructive role in the development and progress of Pakistan,” he told Christian Daily International.

Azam Mairaj, a Christian real estate businessman and social scientist whose daughter, Aroosa Azam is the only woman among five Christians who cleared a special civil service examination last year, said he was delighted to see Javed becoming the first Christian woman to head a district.

“The credit for opening the doors to civil service for Christians goes to Shahbaz Bhatti’s vision. Though government jobs were open to Christians before the quota was approved in 2012, a majority of aspirants were unable to compete due to various reasons, but the situation has changed now,” said Mairaj.

A Christian, Moses Julius in a Facebook post congratulated Javed on her landmark appointment.

“I would like to congratulate Ms. Sarah Javed to be promoted as deputy commissioner of sindh. She is the first Christian lady who is promoted as DC sindh. She served in Shalom Today Ministry as a Honorary Board Member,” Julius stated.

A Muslim Facebook user, Tinker Sohail Osman Ali, wished the Christian officer success in her new role.

“Well done, and congratulations, Ms. Sarah Javed, on your appointment as Sindh's first Christian Deputy Commissioner. You have distinguished yourself many times since you began your career in Government in 2014, and I wish you every success for the future,” Ali’s post stated.

Christians make up about 1.6% of Pakistan’s population and have historically played a significant role in the country’s education, healthcare, and civil services. Christian professionals have long served as doctors, nurses, teachers, social workers, and armed forces personnel, often working in underserved areas.

Some notable Pakistani Christians include Justice A.R. Cornelius, the only non-Muslim Chief Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court, and Dr. Ruth Pfau, a Catholic nun and physician known as “Pakistan’s Mother Teresa,” who led the fight against leprosy.