PESHAWAR, June 17 Minority communities settled in Fata have demanded that the government should give them the right of getting domicile certificates in order to avail job opportunities in their areas.

Taking part in a dialogue at the Peshawar Press Club on Thursday, members of Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities said they had been living in the tribal region for decades but the government had not given them the right to get domicile certificates.

“No facilities are available to minorities, particularly Christians, in the region,” they said.

The dialogue was arranged by the Tribal Development Network and South Asian Partnership (SAP), Pakistan.

Those spoke on the occasion included Arshad Masih, Sumera George, Arhist Jacob, Sikandar Hayat and Nizam Dawar. A large number of minority members from Khyber, Kurram and South Waziristan agencies and representatives of NGOs participated in the dialogue. Church of Pakistan Bishop Arnist Jacob was the chief guest.

They said the minority members were not allowed to purchase land despite the fact they had been living there for decades and had no intention to shift somewhere else.

“Our forefathers had come to the tribal region where the families have been living in a very cordial atmosphere with the Muslims but even then we have been kept deprived of such basic rights,” they said.

Arshad Masih said they could not avail government jobs and most of them were either doing jobs in private schools etc or dealing in different kinds of businesses to earn a livelihood.

Referring to ordeals of internally displaced persons of different tribal areas, he said the Muslims had been provided camps, relief items and registration facilities, but the minorities had been kept deprived of it.

About 45,000 non-Muslims, including 4,500 Christians, were living in Fata, he said. He said the Hindus also needed a place of worship in the tribal region.

However, he said, there was no threat to their lives from the Taliban even when performed their religious activities.

Bishop Jacob said the minorities had been facing problems from the very inception and they would have to join hands in a peaceful struggle for their rights.

Tribal Development Network chairman Nizam Dawar, SAP-Pakistan project manager Sikandar Hayat and others appealed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti to take steps to ensure facilities to minorities in the tribal areas.