PESHAWAR: Members of various non-Muslim communities and civil society organisations have stressed the need for creating interfaith harmony to overcome the increasing polarisation among people on the basis of belief.

The consultative meeting titled “religious freedom and minorities’ rights” was organised by South Asia Partnership-Pakistan (SAP-PK) at a local hotel here on Friday. The speakers included Baba Jee Gorpal Singh, Asif Kumar, Bishan Lal, Hashim Raza, Nusrat Ara, Shahida Shah and Saman Ara, journalist Shamim Shahid and others.

The speakers urged the government to change the syllabus by replacing various lessons to develop interfaith harmony, bring a positive change in behaviour of masses and remove hatred among people on the basis of belief. They said that the Punjab police had arrested the killer of one Manmohan Singh, a resident of Peshawar, but still no punishment was awarded to him. They said that Mr Singh was killed in Rawalpindi a few months ago. They condemned abduction of a Hindu woman, Raem Chander Chohan, in Peshawar the other day. 

Gorpal Singh said that family of Manmohan was too poor to afford a lawyer to follow their case in the court. Mr Kumar demanded of the government to take steps for recovery of the abducted woman and protection of minorities in their respective areas. He asked for reforms in the syllabus. “Islam guarantees all kind of rights and our protection, but our worst enemy is the curriculum,” he said.

The participants expressed solidarity with the affected families and demanded of the government to arrest the killers and take steps for security of minorities. They also demanded enhanced security of the holy places of all non-Muslims so that they could perform their devotions in a peaceful atmosphere.

The participants highlighted issues being faced by minorities, including right to assembly, association and thoughts, which they added were huge problems as the people could not gather for festivals for fear of lives and properties. They said that minorities were also facing difficulties in getting birth, death and marriage certificates, cremation places, quota in jobs and educational institutes, etc.

Representatives of the minorities said that they had not migrated from any other country so the government should treat them as Pakistani citizens. Earlier, the SAP representatives gave a detailed presentation regarding minorities’ problems.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2015

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