Equal rights: ‘Protecting minorities requires law reform’

Participants stress need for implementing constitutional and international conventions regarding minorities’ rights.

LAHORE:

Increased migration of minorities from Pakistan is because of increasing extremism and intolerance in society, Pakistan Peoples Party leader Naveed Chaudhry said on Friday.

He was speaking at a panel discussion at a workshop organised by the South Asia Partnership-Pakistan. PPP Punjab president Faiza Malik, PPP Minorities Wing Punjab president Pervaiz Rafiq, JI Punjab general secretary Nazir Ahmed Janjua, JI ameer Maqsood Ahmed, PML-N Youth Wing Punjab president Hussain Shahid and PTI Minorities Punjab president Shunila Ruth participated.

The participants stressed on the need for implementing constitutional and international conventions regarding minorities’ rights. They suggested amending the Constitution to ensure equal rights for minorities.

Shahid said political parties should take up the issue of equal rights in the parliament. Rafiq said the Constitution needed to be reviewed and minorities granted the rights promised by the Quaid-i-Azam on August 11, 1947.

Janjua said the JI’s manifesto ensured complete protection and respect to minority groups.

Malik stressed the need to change mindsets. She said behavioural change was required to establish a balanced society.

Ruth said there could be no improvement in the treatment of minorities unless the Constitution was reviewed

Ahmed discussed protection granted to minorities in Islam. There could be no improvement until the rights of every citizen were protected, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2014.