ISLAMABAD: The founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, wanted Pakistan to be a moderate secular state. The Constitution of Pakistan provides for fundamental rights, which include freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press and the right to bear arms.
I belong to the Christian community of Pakistan — and we make up around 1.5 per cent of the population of our beloved homeland. When she was prime minister, Benazir Bhutto tried to change the blasphemy law because it was being used to terrorise religious minorities, but she couldn’t succeed. She was able to make the existing law more moderate but those changes were reversed by the government of Nawaz Sharif who came after her. The current PPP-led government should do the same and try and honour Bhutto’s vision in this regard.
Also, I have one other point. On Eid, the power companies make it a point to have no loadshedding, but sadly that doesn’t happen on Christmas Day. Why this discrimination against the minorities of Pakistan? Why are minorities treated as second-class citizens of Pakistan? Are we not Pakistanis?
I believe parliament is the most supreme of all institutions of the state. But we have no proper representation in it and that is the main reason why minorities are deprived of their rights.
Any member of parliament care to respond to my letter?
Ameen Khokhar
Member, Pakistan Masiha Millat Party
Published in The Express Tribune, December 27th, 2011.
