Zubair qureshi
A large number of the non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan participated in a rally staged by the Minorities Alliance of Pakistan (MAP) on the eve of the Minorities Day (August 11) outside the National Press Club here on Friday.
They were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans such as ‘We demand equal opportunities’ ‘End discrimination against minorities’ and ‘We want Jinnah’s Pakistan.’
Chairman of the Minorities Alliance, Akmal Bhatti while speaking on the occasion said a safe and secure future for the minorities was their main demand. We want Jinnah’s Pakistan, which is a tolerant state where followers of all religions can live in complete peace and harmony.
Minorities, he said, played a vital role in the Pakistan Movement and the non-Muslim representatives stood side by side with the Founder of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah in his historic struggle for a separate homeland. “Our role in the country’s development, defence and progress cannot be denied,” he further said.
We are proud to be the citizens of Pakistan but unfortunately, the dream of a tolerant, inclusive Pakistan could not be fulfilled and the forces of extremism are out today to persecute the non-Muslims.
He expressed dismay at the performance of both the governments of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and held they did not do anything to safeguard the minorities’ rights. Under both governments, minorities lived in perpetual fear and subjugation by the forces of extremism, he regretted. There were incidents of attacks on members of minorities, dissertation of the places of worship and forced conversions of minority girls, he said, adding despite all those violations, nothing was done to stop such fanatics.
Our fundamental right to elect candidates in the national and provincial assemblies is being misused by the leaders of a few major political parties without any logical reasons, he further said, alleging the reserved seats in assemblies are distributed without merits for decades.
Later a charter of demands was presented that called for more seats for the minorities in the national and provincial assemblies, delimitation of the constituencies. It also demanded an amendment in article 41, 91 of the constitution to remove the ban for non-Muslims to be a president and prime minister of Pakistan. Ban on misuse of sensitive religious/ blasphemy laws and extra judicial killing free and fair justice of the victims was also demanded. It also called for legislation to ban forced conversion of minor girls. Among other demands included: 5pc educational quota in the formal and technical, educational schools, colleges and universities, incorporation of the Quiad August 11, 1947 speech in the Constitution of Pakistan, regularization of Kachi Abadi (slums) etc.
