KARACHI: The organisers of Minority Rights March, which held its first march last year at Frere Hall, Karachi, on August 11, called a press conference at the Karachi Press Club here on Thursday to announce that they will be coming out again at the same place this Sunday.

While speaking to the media, social activist and classical dancer Sheema Kermani reminded of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s historic speech to the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947 in which he had said: “You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed — that has nothing to do with the business of the State.”

Ms Kermani said that the country will be celebrating Independence Day on August 14. “We will fly Pakistan’s flag on Independence Day. It is the same flag in which the white portion that holds the pole represents the religious minorities of Pakistan,” she reminded.

She also reminded of Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani’s judgement of June 2014 in which he had mandated the government to constitute a task force at the federal level to work out a strategy to promote religious tolerance. He also called on the government to set up a National Council of Minorities Rights to monitor the practical realisation of the rights and safeguards provided to the minorities under the Constitution and frame policy recommendations for safeguarding and protecting minorities’ rights.

Frere Hall to host event on Sunday

Ms Kermani also pointed out that Minority Rights March is not a political party or NGO. “We are just an organic movement of people who have come together for a good cause. The majority can defend the minority,” she said.

Advocate Luke Victor said that no religion spreads hatred. “All regions preach tolerance. Our Constitution also cares about the human rights of minorities. But here things such as the Jaranwala incident also happen where the Bible is burned and the cross is broken. My Pakistan should not be like this,” hew said.

Pastor Ghazala Shafique said after the Quaid’s historic speech in 1947, many Christians and Hindus decided to live in Pakistan. “Quaid-i-Azam had spoken so strongly for religious minorities on August 11. We have chosen this very day to meet and air our grievances. We also want to celebrate this day with folk dance performances. We want minorities to feel safe on this day,” she said.

Politician and social activist Mangla Sharma said that many religious minorities in Pakistan are actually the indigenous people of this land. “We are taken for granted and overlooked. We are like salt in flour. But remember that without salt there is no taste,” she said.

Human rights activist Safina Javed said that often Hindus here are looked at as agents of Indian and Christians are suspected of being US agents.

Another human rights activist Najma Maheshwari said that Hindu girls wearing a bindi on their forehead or sindoor in their hair parting are gawked so badly here that they have often opted to wear abayas in which they feel safe.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024