Minorities Day: Protection of non-Muslims stressed

Speakers highlight Jinnah’s vision for non-Muslim communities, welcome establishment of commission on rights.

ISLAMABAD:

Speakers on Tuesday stressed the need for implementation of laws to protect and promote rights of non-Muslim communities in the country.

They were speaking at an event titled “Quaid’s Vision for Minorities: Challenges and Opportunities”, organised by the National Commission of Human Rights (NCHR) in connection with the Minorities Day.

Government had designated August 11 as ‘Minorities Day’ in 2009.

The newly formed commission’s chairperson Justice Ali Nawaz Chowhan said non-Muslim communities were an essential part of the country and called for efforts to integrate them in the mainstream.

“We have taken notice of the Youhanabad incident and we will try to prevent such kind of incidents in the future,” he said.

Ambassador of Austria Brigitta Bhala appreciated the establishment of the commission. Human rights commissions throughout the world are important state institutions and play effective role in protecting rights, she said.



IA Rehman, who is secretary general of the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), also welcomed the establishment of NCHR, which, he said, was an overdue demand of the civil society.

He urged the government to make the commission functional as soon as possible.

“Quaid’s vision, if implemented properly, can make Pakistan one of the most peaceful nations,” Punjab Assembly Member (MPA) Mary Gill said.

Gill, who is also Punjab chief minister’s adviser on minorities’ issues and chairperson of the religious freedom caucus in the provincial assembly, said the Punjab government would soon announce policy measures to ensure protection of minorities’ rights.

Asia Foundation Deputy Country Representative Ameena Ilahi said the foundation was undertaking three projects on the rights of minorities and marginalised groups in Pakistan.



Day dedicated to late Shahbaz Bhatti 

Meanwhile, various minority representatives at another event called for celebrating Aug 11 as a day of national harmony. They also dedicated the day to slain Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated on March 2, 2011, in Islamabad.

The event was organised by the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA).

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Khurshid Shah called upon all religious and political leaders to join hands for interfaith harmony. He also stressed the need for greater integration of non-Muslim communities in the mainstream.

The alliance chairperson Dr Paul Jacob Bhatti said school curricula needed to be reformed and designed in a way that it promoted harmony.

“Every non-Muslim has the same sanctity as me,” Mufti Muneebur Rehman said. He condemned discrimination and violence against non-Muslim communities.

Church of Pakistan Lahore Diocese Bishop Irfan Jamil highlighted the principles of freedom and equality.

“We need to remove prejudices that we are all hostages of,” he added.

All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement Chairperson Haroon Sarab Diyal demanded fair representation for non-Muslim communities in the parliament.

“In Mahabharata, we are given the lesson to sacrifice our lives for the land we are born in. Pakistan is the land I was born in,” he said.

He also called upon Pakistan Army to induct more members from non-Muslim communities and reserve a quota for them.

Bishop of Peshawar Humphrey S Peters lamented that population of non-Muslim communities had been decreasing from 22 per cent in 1947 to less than five per cent.

Pakistan Ulema Council Chairperson Hafiz Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi also addressed the participants and resolved to stand by those who had wrongly been implicated in blasphemy cases.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2015.