PESHAWAR: The representatives of minorities have blamed the political and religious parties for not implementing their manifestoes to ensure protection to the minorities and give them equal rights like other citizens of the country.

Addressing a joint press conference here on Wednesday, All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement (APHRM) chairman Haroon Sarb Diyal, Christian community representative Agstan Jacub and SAP-Pk representative Nusrat said that politicians should ensure implementation of manifestoes of their parties in the real sense to remove unrest among minorities.

They demanded of the federal and provincial governments to make amendments in the existing laws relating to inheritance and marriage in consultation with representatives of minorities. They also demanded right of possession of land property in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa so that they could lead life in accordance with the constitution of the country.

Mr Diyal read out manifestoes of different political parties regarding promises of provision of all facilities including safety, education, health and other services to non-Muslims. He said that they were least bothered to materialise their commitments when they came into power.

Being Pakistanis, he said, non-Muslims were ready to render all kinds of sacrifices for the soil but even then they were treated as second rate citizens.

He said that Sikh community did not participate in the press conference due to fear of attacks by target killers as nine members of the community had been killed during the past few months.

The non-Muslims, Mr Diyal said, had not migrated from somewhere else but they were original citizens of the country and had the same rights.

He said that they had equal respect for Islam and Pakistan, but there were some elements, who wanted to vilify the country by hatching conspiracies to grab holy places and property of minorities.

On the occasion, senior journalist Shamim Shahid also shared his views and said that religious freedom and constitutional rights were also meant for the non-Muslims in the country. He said that both Muslims and non-Muslims were affected by terrorism and extremism, which also earned a bad name to Pakistan.

Mr Shahid highlighted the issues being faced by non-Muslims, particularly relating of quota in the Parliament, education and health sectors.

Earlier, Nusrat of SAP-Pk gave a detailed presentation regarding minorities’ problems and national and international guarantees provided to them.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2014