PESHAWAR: A question on display of banners prohibiting internally displaced persons’ movement in the city put at different places by the police triggered a fight between political activists from Fata and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a PTI lawmaker at a consultative meeting on democracy and civil rights here on Tuesday.
“Is this not the violation of the right of freedom of movement ensured under the constitution? Are the tribal people not Pakistani citizens?” questioned a student leader and political activist, Tariq Afghan, hailing from Fata.
However, when MPA Ziaullah Bangash tried to get up and answer the questions, tempers of some of those in attendance were lost, who started criticising the PTI-led government for letting police display such warnings in the city. Other participants had to intervene to pacify the tempers.
Another PTI MPA Nargis could only say that they were not allowed to interfere in the affairs of the police but that was not enough to console those who raised the issue at the discussion on political rights.
Ziaullah Bangash later explained that the chief minister had also thought such banners discriminatory and contacted the relevant authorities on the issue.
The consultative forum on ‘realising civil and political rights of women, minorities and youth’, jointly organised by Democracy Reporting International (DRI) and the Provincial Women’s Caucus, was attended by PTI MPAs, ministers and civil society activists.
They raised many issues relating to women’s voting, youth’s political rights and discrimination and neglect of the rights of the minorities
Aneesa Zeb Tahirkheli, Chairperson Women Parliamentary Caucus of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, said on the occasion there was need of joint working group of civil society and parliamentarians to push for reforms in the country.
She said there was need for change in the attitudes and creation of institutions which may work for protection of women’s rights. Ms Tahirkheli stated that minorities needed to be brought into mainstream politics alongside the use of reserved seats.
Sooran Singh, special assistant to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister on minorities’ affairs, also stressed the need to increase reserved seats for religious minorities as the population of religious minorities had increased substantially.
PML-N MPA Amina Sardar lamented that women MPAs were discriminated against even in elected forums as they were not given chance to contribute to budget sessions.
Minorities rights activist Haroon Sarab Dayal said a census should be conducted to get picture of existing number of minorities living in Pakistan with a view to realising their political and civil rights. “This would help strategise planning in a much more informed manner.”
The participants demanded increase in reserved seats of religious minorities in the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and the local governments.
Earlier, explaining the need for the forum, Hassan Nasir Mirbahar, team leader for DRI project, ‘democratic stability through responsive elected institutions,’ underscored that the consolidation of democracy required the realisation of the rights of all citizens.
Other MPAs who attended the forum included Ms Nargis, Ms Zareen Zia, Mr Soran Singh, Mr Askar Mumtaz, Ms Najma Shaheen, Ms Rashida Raffat, Ms Naseem Hayat, Ms Nagina Khan and Askar Pervez.
Published in Dawn, October 21st, 2015
On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play