HYDERABAD, May 4: Representatives of civil society organisations and the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) have urged all political parties to include protection of minorities’ rights in their manifestoes and policies ahead of general election and implement them when they come to power.

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, co-manager of the Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Shujauddin Qureshi, representatives of the Green Rural Development Organisation Dr Ghulam Haider and Veeru Kohli and HRCP Sindh task force coordinator Dr Ashothama lamented that the problems being faced by minorities had disappeared from the manifestoes and policies of political parties contesting election.

They said that a grave sense of deprivation was spreading among minorities, especially in Christians and lower caste Hindus working in blue collar professions.

The representatives demanded implementation of already present laws in the constitution which guaranteed fundamental rights to minorities and seats according to the minorities’ population in provincial and national assemblies.

They said to avoid prejudice in court cases, judges belonging to minority communities should deal with cases of minorities. Other demands included implementing of laws against hate speech and ban on such literature, amendments in the blasphemy law, restoration of local government system with the inclusion of members of minority communities, conduct of an impartial census, de-politicisation of the police force and revision of school syllabus.

Religious parties allege harassment Leaders of religious parties and candidates for national and provincial assembly seats urged caretaker government and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to take action against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists who, according to them, were preventing religious parties from launching their election campaigns in Hyderabad.

Addressing a joint press conference on Friday, Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan (JUP) president and NA-220 candidate Sahibzada Abul Khair Mohammad Zubair, Sindh Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) deputy general secretary and PS-46 candidate Abdul Waheed Qureshi and Jamiat Ulema-i- Islam-Fazal (JUI-F) Hyderabad district amir Moulana Taj Mohammad Nahiyoonn said that the ECP code of conduct was not being implemented in Hyderabad.

They said that activists and candidates of JI and JUP were being snatched handbills and pamphlets while posters, banners and flags of their parties were being removed in Hyderabad. They alleged that MQM activists had been continuously harassing activists of religious parties and in some cases had even roughed up them during campaigning in Shahi Bazaar, Sarfaraz Colony, Latifabad Unit no 12 and other localities.

They alleged that the MQM had set up party offices in government buildings, including hospital and educational institutions, and said that the party wanted to hold the polling staff and teachers and hostage.

A presiding officer must be a gazetted officer, however, the candidates alleged that the MQM had given these responsibilities to officers from grade 12 to 15.

They appealed to caretaker government and the ECP to pay heed to their complaints against the MQM and address them immediately. They claimed that they had reported incidents of harassment at police stations concerned but not a single FIR had been lodged so far.

The candidates said that the ECP seemed helpless before MQM activists, adding that the role of Sindh governor and caretaker government in the province was partial since they had given a free hand to the MQM for stopping campaigns of other parties. They also said they believed that the caretaker government was planning to bring an incompetent government after the election.

They termed the threat of Taliban in Karachi as a decoy used by the MQM to hush up their performance during the past five years. They also alleged that the MQM had made no-go areas in Hyderabad too, such as area around Pucca Qila.