LAHORE, Aug 11: Minorities on Saturday held two meetings and demanded equal rights and opportunities. In its meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan, the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) issued a clarion call to ensure minorities representation in the assemblies in accordance with the rising population and a proportionate increase in the number of general seats.

The alliance unveiled its charter of demands (CoD) on the occasion.

The charter made an appeal to the government and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to ensure rights of the minorities in accordance with the respective UN declaration.

The CoD sought inclusion of the Aug 11 speech of the Quaid in the Constitution as its integral part. It said the government should ensure free, fair and transparent elections under a caretaker set-up, and participation of minorities.

It said sections 295-C and 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code as well as Hudood ordinance should be repealed immediately. The charter said the sanctity of marriages solemnised under the laws of minorities should be protected from violation and dissolutions should be prohibited in case of conversion to any other religion.

It said the government should take concrete steps to foster religious harmony and form a national commission on religious tolerance to promote co-existence. It sought revoking of article 2-A, 31 and 227 and prohibition of policies made in the name of religion.

It sought a law to eliminate conversion to other religions on the basis of kidnapping and blackmailing. It said an inter-faith council should be formed in place of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII), which should be assigned the role of advising the parliament on legislation.

The charter also demanded a ban on organisations, which were fanning hatred, extremism and terror in the name of religion. It said the minorities should be given equal opportunities in media, services of Pakistan and all walks of life. It called for foolproof legislation to weed out the practice of bonded labour.

In another meeting at Nasser Bagh, Pakistan Christian National Party (PCNP) demanded restoration of the 1973 Constitution in its real sense and equal rights for people belonging to all the religions.

The rally was addressed by Bishop Samuel Azria, PPP women wing secretary-general Uzma Bokhari, PCNP chairman Joseph Francis and secretary-general Sohail Johnson.

They said minorities should be given equal rights in accordance with the speech of the Quaid-i-Azam and Christians be given representation in the provincial and national assemblies and the senate in proportion to their share in population. They also demanded repeal of discriminatory Hudood ordinance.