Standing committee: Panel ‘glossing over’ minority issues
There has been no meeting for the last seven months, says PPP's Ramesh Lal
ISLAMABAD:
Two perturbed members of the National Assembly representing minorities complained on Tuesday that the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had not discussed issues being faced by minorities even once.
Lal’s views were endorsed by Bhawan Das, another representative of minorities from the ruling PML-N. Both members asked the committee for a briefing on issues related to minorities which was accepted by committee Chairman Hafiz Abdul Karim.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2014.
Two perturbed members of the National Assembly representing minorities complained on Tuesday that the Standing Committee on Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had not discussed issues being faced by minorities even once.
“There has been no meeting for the last seven months,” said Ramesh Lal from the PPP, adding that issues pertaining to minorities have not once been discussed. Lal referred to the Kot Radha Kishan incident, and the Daharki incident in which a 12-year-old girl Anjali Kumari was subjected to forced conversion. “I have told Khursheed Shah that I am ready to resign from this committee which never takes up our issues.”
Lal’s views were endorsed by Bhawan Das, another representative of minorities from the ruling PML-N. Both members asked the committee for a briefing on issues related to minorities which was accepted by committee Chairman Hafiz Abdul Karim.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2014.