KOT ADDU:
Hameed Masih and all other non-Muslims in Kot Addu, who lost their houses in the floods last year, remain homeless despite a scheme by the Punjab government to allocate land to residents in the area.
Hameed says the provincial government has not set a quota for members of minority communities, who were left homeless by the devastating floods.
The government has launched four schemes in Kot Addu under which around 435 plots of 5-marlas (151 square yards) each are to be distributed among people who lost their property in the floods. Several people were allotted land last month and so far, no minority member has been given land.
“Christians in this area are not rich people. They lost their houses and lands in the floods and should have been given five per cent quota in the scheme. Flood victims could have been easily accommodated, but the quota system has not been followed because of which no minority member has been allotted land,” Hameed told The Express Tribune.
“The aid distribution was fair. There were some problems in the beginning but then minority members protested and the issue was resolved,” he said. Hameed said Christian families in his village are receiving monthly stipends through Watan Cards. “The list of homeless people was prepared by local patwaris [land revenue officers] who were not fair in doing their job,” said another Christian.
Sarwar Masiih said he does not have property and does menial work for a living, but his name was not included in the list by the patwari. “Patwaris had to refer our names to higher authorities, but the names of those who could not make them “happy” were not included in the list. My name was not in the list so I had no hope of getting land, though being homeless I fulfill the criteria,” he said.
The areas where plots have been allotted include Gurmani Sharki, Jandeer Dueaja, Chak 568 and Chowk Sarwar Shaheed. There are some 8,500 registered voters of minorities, mostly Christians and Hindus, in the area. The population of minorities in these areas is said to be around 18,000.
“This is not a case of discrimination, but bad management. Several people, who have been allotted plots under this scheme, already have plenty of resources and land, while those who do not have property have been ignored,” said Wasim, a Christian by faith and minorities coordinator of Kot Addu.
There is one person who owns 22 acres of agricultural land, but has been allotted land under the scheme,” he said.
Napoleon Qayyum, a minority rights activist, said that under the constitution, minorities should be given five per cent quota in all schemes launched by the government, adding that the Punjab government should adhere to that.
Officials from the local administration responded to the allegations by saying they did not directly have anything to do with flood rehabilitation, adding that plots were allotted to homeless people through a lucky draw.
Chaudhary Ehsanul Haq Nolatia, a local MPA from Kot Addu said: “A committee was formed to look into the allotment. It is true that the government did not allocate any special quota for minorities in the scheme, but the plots were distributed through a draw. However, I will take up this issue in the Punjab Assembly.”
Published in The Express Tribune, August 4th, 2011.
COMMENTS (7)
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why such a scandalous news title when contents of the news are clearly otherwise?
Dispecable and shameful that the government should differentiate between the people on the basis of religion
very bad..
There is no need for a quota. All Pakistanis should be treated equally and fairly. No one should get preferential treatment because of ethnicity or religion. The minorities in Pakistan are trying to exploit the current Western and Indian bias against Pakistan. There are several Muslim families (in fact entire villages) who have not received any help from the government. One of my colleagues comes from an area of Sind where entire villages (comprising Muslims) have not received any help so far.
The ahmadis in punjab have faced horrific discrimination during and after the floods,relief goods were not given to ahmadi families,they were made to suffer in silence only because of their beliefs. by abusing and torturing a community do our 'mard-e-momins' think that they are serving islam? by persecuting the ahmadis do our religious fanatics think they are serving islam ?
as long as you are a muslim in pakistan you are king but if you have the misfortune of being born a non-muslim in pakistan then you face dicrimination and persecution from birth.the constitution of our islamic republic has made it a law that no non-muslim can be its president or primeminister,so non-muslims are told they are inferior beings right from their birth. then at every stage in life the non-muslims are reminded forcefully that they are not worthy of being considered as equal human beings to the muslims.i've seen my colleagues and friends in school,college and then the office prouldy say that i won't drink from the same cup that the hindu or ahmadi does.when i asked why they replied because the non-muslims make the glasses or plates 'NAPAAK' .!!!!
when will this prejudice and hate end???
when will we stop treating our non-muslim population as animals? we treat our minoirities in a horrific fashion and then scream and cry that france is banning burkas or switzerland is banning minarets! how hypocritical of us,the western countries treat their muslim populations a million times better than how we treat our minorities.