KARACHI: The Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) has called for renewed national efforts to build an inclusive society where citizens of all faiths and backgrounds can participate equally in national building.

Reaffirming its commitment to tolerance and respect, the PCHR on Thursday emphasised that social cohesion and national progress were only possible when no one was left behind.

The speakers collectively urged policymakers, parliamentarians, and civil society to reclaim the founding vision of Pakistan as articulated by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in his historic August 11, 1947 address about a country where religion would remain a personal matter and every citizen would enjoy equal rights as a citizen of Pakistan.

Executive director of PCHR Shafique Chaudhry highlighted that Pakistan’s Constitution provides a strong foundation for safeguarding equality and inclusion. Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees that “all citizens are equal before the law and that they are entitled to equal protection of law,” while also prohibiting discrimination on the basis of religion, caste, sex, residence, or place of birth.

Policymakers, civil society asked to reclaim Quaid-i-Azam’s vision in the light of his August 11 speech

Article 27 ensures that all citizens have equal access to public offices and the civil service, regardless of their religion.

Article 36 further ensures that the state shall provide special safeguards to minorities and take measures to protect their legitimate interests. Yet, despite these constitutional guarantees, systemic barriers continue to undermine equal participation. There is an urgent need to ensure full compliance with the Supreme Court (SMC No 1 of 2014) landmark judgment, which provides clear directions and guidelines for safeguarding the rights of religious minorities in Pakistan. If these directions had been implemented in true letter and spirit, the state of religious minorities in the country in general and Sindh in particular would have been significantly improved, ensuring their protection, dignity, and equal participation in society.

Member of the Provincial Assembly, Sindh Mahesh Kumar Hasija drew attention to the persistent gaps between promises and practices, noting that minorities remained systematically excluded from equal opportunities. He pointed out that the five per cent public sector job quota for minorities remained largely unfulfilled, with more than 70 per cent of reserved posts lying vacant. Many minority citizens, he added, continued to be confined to sanitation jobs regardless of their qualifications, with some job advertisements explicitly restricting them to low-grade posts.

On the issue of education, Mr Kumar said that nearly 60 per cent of minority students reported discrimination, including denial of enrolment, classroom segregation and being compelled to study religious subjects irrelevant to their faith. In Sindh, 44 per cent of minority children are out of school, compared to the national average of 27 per cent, which he described as a glaring example of structural exclusion.

He further noted that university quota seats for minorities often remained underutilised due to financial barriers, low awareness, and weak enforcement mechanisms hence preventing minorities from accessing higher education and professional advancement.

“These figures,” Mr Kumar concluded, “speaks to the fact that there is an urgent need for real action to make equality and inclusion a lived reality rather than just a constitutional promise.”

President of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists Afzal Butt highlighted incidents where sane voices had been silenced. He emphasised that a society that curbed freedom of expression could not ensure the protection of religious minorities’ rights and for that matter rights of any citizen of the state.

Father Shehzad Asher of the National Commission for Justice and Peace acknowledged that there had been positive steps by the state to create opportunities, such as holding a separate CSS exam for minority candidates and providing academic preparatory courses to help them compete in competitive examinations. However, he stressed that such measures must be institutionalised, expanded, and paired with broader structural reforms to ensure long-term inclusivity.

The speakers also expressed concern over recurring incidents of forced conversion and violence against minorities. Referring to the September 2024, case of Dr Shahnawaz Kunbhar, who was accused of posting blasphemous contents and subsequently killed by police in a staged encounter, they noted that such incidents deepened political alienation of minorities and eroded their trust in state institutions.

“The only way to bridge this trust deficit is through swift, transparent and impartial investigations and by bringing the perpetrators to justice,” the speakers stressed.

They further urged the media and journalists to play their part by responsibly highlighting issues faced by religious minorities, amplifying their voices, and showcasing their positive contributions to Pakistan’s progress. Such coverage, they emphasised, can counter stereotypes and foster greater understanding and inclusion.

They reiterated that inclusivity is not only about protecting minority rights, but about building a stronger, fairer, and more united Pakistan for all.

Advocate Safia Qadir, Advocate Tara Chand and minority rights activist Kapil Dev, MPAs Rooma Sabahat, Sham Sunder, Mukesh Kumar Chawla and Coordinator, National Commission for Human Rights, Chandan Malhi also spoke.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2025