Check the 5 Percent Disability Job Quota in Sindh: What Employers Must Do Under the 2018 Act

The Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018 sets a 5 percent job quota in Sindh government bodies, expects private employers to keep 5 percent of staff with disabilities, bans discrimination at work, and makes a defaulting employer pay the missing salaries into a provincial fund. The Act came into force on 11 June 2018.

People with disabilities in Sindh often hear "no vacancy" or "your work will not be possible" at interview. We read the full Act text on 21 October 2026, including the employment section 11. The Act says the Government must notify rules and set up an Authority. We could not confirm from official pages how far that has been done, so use this guide as the legal base for a complaint. For the national picture, see our guide to the disabled persons employment quota in Pakistan.

Government bodies in Sindh must reserve 5 percent of posts

Section 11(12) says the Government shall reserve a quota of 5 percent at various levels for persons with disabilities in government departments, institutions and corporate entities it owns or manages. The Government may also notify an age relaxation for these candidates.

The Act does not list which posts or grades. It also does not give a fixed age relaxation. Both are left to later notifications, so read each job advertisement for its own quota line. Section 11(14) says pay and terms cannot be less favourable than for others in the same post.

Private employers must aim for 5 percent or pay into a fund

Section 11(13) says private establishments shall ensure that 5 percent of their workforce are persons with disabilities. Section 11(15) says an employer that falls short must pay into the provincial fund each month the amount it would have paid as salary to such a worker.

The fund is the Provincial Fund for Persons with Disabilities under section 30. It also takes grants, fines and donations. Its money must go to rehabilitation projects, and it is audited every year by the Auditor General of Pakistan.

Employers must make reasonable changes so a person can do the job

Section 11(5) requires every establishment to provide reasonable accommodation, including aids, equipment and a barrier free environment that a person with a disability would reasonably need to do the work. Section 11(4) bans discrimination in hiring, promotion and career development.

Government employers may be exempted from the discrimination ban for certain types of work by notification. Private employers get no such exemption in the text. Every establishment must also keep records of staff with disabilities, open to inspection by the Authority.

A government office must name a grievance officer and decide within two weeks

Section 11(10) requires every government establishment to appoint a Grievance Redressal Officer and tell the Authority. Section 11(11) says each complaint must be inquired into within two weeks of being registered. If you are not satisfied, you can go to the Authority.

The Authority must also run a Special Employment Exchange and portal where employers list vacancies earmarked for persons with disabilities. A person registered there for more than two years and not placed may get an unemployment allowance under section 12(3)(f), subject to the income ceiling the Government notifies.

1. Get your disability certificate first. See the Sindh assessment certificate guide.
2. Check the job advertisement for a disability quota line.
3. If refused, ask in writing for the reason.
4. Write to the department's Grievance Redressal Officer and keep a copy.
5. If the officer does not act within two weeks, go to the Authority.

Breaking the Act costs Rs 10,000 for a first offence and up to Rs 500,000 after that

Section 34 sets a fine of up to Rs 10,000 for a first breach of the Act. A repeat breach carries a fine of at least Rs 50,000 and up to Rs 5 lakh. Fraudulently claiming a disability benefit can bring up to two years in prison, a fine up to Rs 1 lakh, or both.

Section 33 provides for special courts in each district, set up as sessions courts. A case against a government employee needs the Government's prior sanction under section 39. Where another law gives a heavier penalty, the heavier law applies under section 40.

Common questions about disability job rights in Sindh

Is the Act in force in Sindh?

Yes, section 1(3) says it came into force at once. Many of its schemes depend on rules and the Authority, which we could not confirm.

What is the job quota for persons with disabilities in Sindh?

Five percent in government bodies and a 5 percent workforce target for private establishments.

What if a private company does not hire anyone with a disability?

It must pay into the provincial fund each month what it would have paid in salary, under section 11(15).

Can an employer refuse me because of my disability?

No. Section 11(4) bans discrimination in hiring, promotion and career development.

Who investigates a complaint in a government department?

The Grievance Redressal Officer, who must inquire within two weeks. After that you can approach the Authority.

How does this compare with Balochistan?

Balochistan has its own law. See our guide to the Balochistan disability Act and quota.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked 21 October 2026. We read the Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018 (Sindh Act XLVIII of 2018), notified by the Provincial Assembly of Sindh on 11 June 2018, in full from the published Act text. The Assembly publishes its Acts at pas.sindh.gov.pk. We could not verify the Authority's existence, any rules, the notified income ceilings or the real compliance of employers, so treat those as unconfirmed.