Daily Times

Political parties have unveiled their manifestos for 2024 elections, and almost all major parties – Pakistan People Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-N (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), Jamiat Ulema-i-Pakistan-F (JUI0F), Istehkam Pakistan Party and PTI-Patriot (PTI-P).

A skimmed view of the manifestos shows that the parties have focused on the economic well-being of religious minorities besides sticking to the status quo.

First, here’s the summary of party manifests.

JI: The JI took the lead in unveiling its manifestos, even days before the announcement of the election schedule. The party envisions a prosperous and inclusive Pakistan “where the non-Muslim population” is referred to as the “Pakistani community” instead of a minority.”

The JI pledges the provision of equal opportunities in education, employment, and civil rights to all non-Muslims. It ensures equality in rights, and protection of life and property and a vision centres around fostering an environment where the diverse Pakistani community, regardless of religious background, can thrive and contribute to the nation’s progress.

If we combine all manifestos, they present a comprehensive programme, which gives a clear roadmap for mainstreaming religious minorities.

MQM-P: It is the only party that asserts the importance of incorporating Quaid Azam’s 11th August speech into the national constitution as a means to instil a profound sense of protection among religious minorities. The party emphasizes the necessity for active involvement of minorities in Pakistan’s political, social, and economic development, promoting complete harmony among followers of all religions. The party pledges the establishment of a robust “National Minority Commission” through legislation, equipped with clear terms of reference. The party is committed to legislating against forced conversions, forced marriages, and other crimes disproportionately affecting religious minorities. It is the only party that addresses blasphemy accusations and proposes the implementation of state FIRs and counter FIRs to ensure fairness.

PML-N: The party seeks to establish an inclusive Pakistan, emphasising the importance of interfaith harmony for the nation’s progress. The manifesto document also details the steps taken for the well-being of the religious minorities during its past governments. PML-N Quaid Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, during his three terms as Prime Minister, prioritized safeguarding the rights of religious minorities. The key proposals in the Manifesto 2024 include the implementation of international protocols; building national integration, legislation to ensure safety and security against violence on religious minorities; establishment of a special task force for their protection, and imposing severe penalties for incitement of violence; enhancement of the National Commission for Minorities, strengthen Human Rights Commissions, and introduce special initiatives like interreligious harmony in the national curriculum, and increasing quotas, provide interest-free loans for minority communities; implementation of special schemes for their economic prosperity; strengthening institutions promoting minority rights, mandate human rights education, and raise public awareness about minority rights, and implementation of measures for minority participation in the electoral process, ensure representation in elected bodies, and provide model facilities for last rites and worship spaces.

PPP: The party advocates for revisiting Articles 41 and 91 of the Constitution, which reserve some state offices exclusively for Muslims, deeming it contradictory to the fundamental human rights enshrined in Article 25.

The other key points are: establishing a minorities commission aligning with the 2014 Supreme Court verdict for the protection of non-Muslim minorities; implementing Constitutional Articles 20, 22, and 36, focusing on religious freedom, prevention of discrimination in educational institutions based on religion, and protection of rights for religious minorities; updating Christian Personal Laws in consultation with the community, expediting the vetting and review process of the Christian Marriage and Divorce Bill to safeguard the legal rights and dignity of Christian families; expediting the framing of rules under The Hindu Marriage Act in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, passed in 2017, and ensure effective implementation of the Sindh Hindu Marriage Amendment Act 2018; and implementing the five per cent job quota for minorities, emphasizing its adherence in both letter and spirit.

PTI: The party, which is taking part in the elections 2024 without a party symbol, has released a 168-page manifesto, which does not mention the word “minority” even for once. Instead, the party has pledged human rights, economic prosperity and legislative protection for “marginalized groups”. The word “marginalized” appears 13 times in the document.

Minority rights activists have taken the party pledges with a sense of scepticism as well as optimism.

Faisalabad-based rights activist Yasar Talib draws attention to a significant omission in various political party manifestos, saying that MQM-Pakistan stands out for addressing the sensitive issue of blasphemy laws. Talib says that while all parties pledge to secure religious worship places for minorities, the absence of explicit attention to blasphemy laws leaves a gap in ensuring the safety and well-being of minority communities.

He says that the presence of blasphemy laws creates an atmosphere of insecurity for religious minorities, urging political parties to not only promise protection for worship places but also address the broader implications of these laws. He criticises manifestos for overlooking the formation of a commission dedicated to examining blasphemy-related cases, highlighting the need for a systematic approach to handle such sensitive matters.

Moreover, Talib points out a lack of clear commitments to equal rights for all, regardless of religious affiliation. He expresses concerns over ambiguous promises in manifestos, stating that the absence of a concrete roadmap raises doubts about the actual implementation of these assurances. Talib echoes the sentiment that the promise of equal rights, as articulated in Quaid Azam’s August 11 speech, remains ambiguous in current political discourse.

Centre for Social Justice’s Executive Director Peter Jacob, however, welcomes the manifesto, despite their shortcomings.

“If we combine all manifestos, they present a comprehensive programme, which gives a clear roadmap for mainstreaming religious minorities,” he says.

“Look, the MQM-P is talking about addressing blasphemy laws; it may be a tall order in reality, but bringing it on discussion is a huge step. Similarly, the PPP, ANP and other parties, which hold progressive credentials do not touch the issue of forced conversion. The MQM-P, on the other hand, does not discuss educational reforms. Despite these things, we are optimistic about the implementation of the points pledges in these documents. And they should be implemented in first 100 days.”

PPP Senator Taj Haider, who is the brain behind the PPP manifesto, says that his party’s government is most friendly towards minorities and in this regard, its policies and legislation speak volumes. He says his government took concrete steps to end forced conversion and corrective measures to address fake blasphemy cases.

PML-N’s Senator Irfan Siddiqui said that his party believed in actions, not words.

“Our manifesto may lack demands, but the reality is it is the PML-N which has delivered for minorities.”

The writer is a freelance columnist.