Rwadari Tehreek in connection with the National Minorities Day organized a public forum at the Nisar Usmani Hall of the Lahore Press Club to express solidarity with the victims and survivors of religious discrimination and persecution, to highlight their problems and to seek attention of the federal and the provincial governments and state institutions towards their plight.
During the public forum, moderated by Rwadari Tehreek Chairman Samson Salamat, the victims of religious discrimination and persecution shared their stories and highlighted difficulties being faced in access to justice. Kathrine Sapna Kramat, Asahr Sarfraz and legal advisers of Christian True Spirit shared their expert opinion after hearing the plight of the victims.
On the occasion, the political, social and religious leadership expressed their concerns over deterioration of the rights of minorities and urged the attention of the government, political parties, the state institutions and the other stakeholders. The participants unanimously adopted recommendations and demands for the protection and promotion of religious minorities.
They demanded that the biases and religious discrimination should be abolished from Pakistanâs constitution to ensure that all citizens are equal constitutionally on the basis of the internationally-recognized principles of human rights â equality and non-discrimination. They also demanded that the extremist outfits involved in spreading poisonous ideologies, hate mongering and instigation of violence against minorities should be banned and prosecuted.
Rwadari Tehreek urges political parties, other stakeholders to work on a scheme that involves minority voters to elect their representatives
The participants suggested to the government to take practical steps to eradicate biases, hate material, abusive language in the curriculum, the print and electronic media and the online spaces. The leadership suggested a grand dialogue in the parliament to look at the negative impact of the misuse of blasphemy laws and to discuss the strategies to control the consistent incidents of fake blasphemy allegations, mob-violence, lynching and attacks on religious minorities.
The government urged to constitute a judicial commission to interrogate âblasphemy business groupâ and share the truth with the public about the burning of Shanti Nagar in 1997 to Jaranwala tragedy in August 2023 and mob lynching last year in Sargodah. This has become a fact that the blasphemy laws were being used frequently to target citizens to settle personal score. They said that these laws have become a tool to persecute minorities, which has led destruction of the lives and properties of minorities.
âComprehensive and effective legislation should be enacted to criminalize the forced religious conversions of minors girls and boys belonging to the minority communities. We are saddened and disappointed over the consistent rejection of the legislation in favor of minorities that also proves that screams and cries of the minority communities are being ignored,â they pointed out.
They demanded reforms for the procedure to fill-up seats for minorities and urged the government, political parties and other stakeholders to work on a scheme that involves the minority voters to elect their representatives in the national and provincial assemblies. The current system of proportional representation practically takes away the democratic powers and rights from the voters to elect their parliamentarians and instead empowers the political parties and political elite without following any fair process, procedure or merit.
The Tehreek leadership and participants of the public forum concluded the event with a determination to persist in their efforts to protect minority rights. Despite challenges and difficulties, they vowed to continue their struggle for a more inclusive and equitable society. This commitment reflects their dedication to creating a Pakistan where all citizens, regardless of their faith or background, can live with dignity and respect.
