KARACHI: HRCP workshop seeks end to bias against minorities
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, April 12: Participants of a workshop, organized by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), on Saturday called for a realistic approach on the rights of federating units as well as religious and linguistic groups.
The participants, activists of various national entities and religious communities, were of the unanimous view that unity of ranks in a pluralist society like Pakistan could be achieved only through democratic dispensation where belief was not allowed to interfere in the business of the state and rights of the citizens.
The Director of HRCP, I. A. Rehman, Senator Sanaullah Baloch, former SHC judge, Justice M. A. Shahani, Chief of Jeay Sindh Mahaz, Abdul Khaliq Junejo, and many human rights activists belonging to different political, ethnic, linguistic and religious groups participated in the day-long debate.
They agreed that a document listing the issues, on which agreement had been reached, as well as matters, on which more discussion was needed, should be prepared and presented before a larger convention of different political parties and relevant schools of thought, so that the people could move towards a framework envisaging respect for the pluralistic nature of the state.
Referring to the issue pertaining to the rights of people belonging to various ethnic and linguistic groups, the participants called for a more clearly enunciated regulations on national languages. They said that languages spoken in the federating units, such as Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and Seraiki, be accepted as national languages and the state must ensure their proper protection and promotion.
They said that the people of the federating units could decide matters relating to the need for link-language or languages of wider communication. But the medium of instruction, particularly at the primary level, should be in a child’s mother tongue.
Referring to the issue of religious minorities, the participants recommended deletion of all religion-based provisions in the Constitution — Article 2, 2 A, and 203 —that divided the citizens on the basis of their belief and allowed curtailment of rights of people belonging to minorities.
They also recommended that the revival of the joint electorate system needed the follow-up action to bring an end to the discrimination in economic and social areas. They demanded that the other forms of discrimination in law, stemming from Blasphemy Law and Hadood Ordinances, be revoked.
They said that guarantees under Article 36 must be respected in practice as minorities did not get due share in federal and provincial services. Non-Muslims should not be denied promotions in service, they said.
The speakers said that the properties of non-Muslim shrines should not be taken over arbitrarily and that non-Muslim settlements needed to be included in new housing plans. They said that lessons on religion in textbooks required thorough revision so as to eliminate hate-teaching.
The participants of the workshop referred to the ‘religion column’ in application forms, particularly of passports, and pointed out that it led to discrimination.
They said that the media should be sensitized on negative projection of minorities.
Referring to the enforcement of mechanisms to ensure protection to the rights of minorities were not effective. This, they added, deprived the minorities of the right that had even been recognized in the Constitution.
The participants recommended that constitutional safeguards be worked out in a manner that discriminatory policies and actions could easily be challenged in the courts of law.
They demanded that the Commission on Minorities be renamed as Justice and Equity Commission which should be a permanent and independent body and comprised of experts as well as public representatives. They called for the provision of adequate financial resources and manpower with powers to take up minority issues on its own.
The participants said that the Ministry of Minority Affairs should be streamlined on sound footings and be enabled to play a coordinating role in all areas of the minorities’ concern. An effective mechanism at local level should be created, they added.
They said that the Law and Justice Commission should take up, on priority basis, a undertake a review of those laws that had opened way to discrimination against minorities. The participants particularly mentioned Blasphemy Law in this regard.
