PESHAWAR, Feb 7: Speakers at a seminar demanded that the ministry dealing with minority communities' affairs should be run by an elected representative from the minority community so that the communities' rights could be protected in a better way.

The one-day seminar was organised by the Civic Awareness Promotion Society (Caps) at the Peshawar Press Club here on Monday to discuss the problems faced by minority communities.

Representatives of Sikh, Christians and Hindus identified their problems and regretted that their problems had remained unresolved as they were not given enough representation in elected institutions of the country.

There was no representation of the communities in Senate, they complained, and demanded that their elected representatives should be made the minister for minority affairs so that they could serve the communities in a better way.

Saib Singh, a district councillor, said that minority community members of district councils were not allocated funds which was an injustice to the community.

"We do not want funds or education facilities for our communities but we ask the government to provide us at least security as kidnappings of our children are very high especially in tribal areas," said Mr Singh.

Pervaiz Laal, another councillor, complained that no fund was allocated to the councillors belonging to the minority community members.

Maqbool M.L, another minority community member, said that those who belonged to the minority communities were not given equal rights in the country, saying they were deprived of high-profile portfolios. "The community members are second-rate citizens, deprived of all equal political and civil rights in the country," he asserted.

He also lamented that many Christians were victimized under the blasphemy law. "A Christian community member could not speak for his rights so how can he commit such an offence," he asked.

The speakers urged the government to give appropriate representation to minority groups in elected institutions of the country. They said there was neither a federal minister nor a minister of state from the minority groups in the country.

The communities, they said, should be given at least five per cent representation in all elected institutions of the country.

The speakers said the entire country was demarcated as a constituency for the communities and only 10 seats were allocated, which was an injustice to these communities.

Gul Saran Laal, an MPA, said that minority communities' representatives had failed in safeguarding the rights of their people.

He said the government should appoint religious teachers at worship places of the minority communities so that their children could get their religious education.

The speakers also criticised their elected MPAs and MNAs for not highlighting and resolving problems of their communities.