LAHORE: Speakers at consultation meeting on Elections 2018 and Rights of Religious Minorities arranged jointly by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) encouraged the participants to engage meaningfully during elections 2018 for realisation of rights and protection of religious minorities in the country. The community leaders, social and political activists from Yuhanabad have participated. The speakers Hina Jilani from HRCP and Peter Jacob from CSJ emphasised that a vibrant democratic process was crucial to address the issues of deprivation and exclusion of the religious minorities. The dialogue focused the way forwards to ensure economic, political and social inclusion of religious minorities in the national mainstream. The participants pointed out issues such as religious discriminations in the education system, implementation of job quota and institutional protection for Minorities’ Rights, that the successive governments have failed to address. The participants of the consultation meeting passed a resolution affirming that they will participate in the upcoming general elections and shall support political parties that manifest determination and capacity to address issues faced by minority communities. The participants articulated following their demands including Yuhanabad. “We urged a re-investigation of incidents on March 15, 2015; dropping the charges of terrorism against the accused in lynching case and trail of the case in a normal court. We also urge the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) to take a suo moto notice of alleged abuses of human rights against Christian accused and current detainees. Moreover, NCHR is also urged to appoint observers to the proceedings in the courts in Lahore,” they said. The second demand constituted an autonomous, independent and permanent national commission for minorities’ rights that has a mandate to investigate violations of the rights of minorities as well as contribute advice on policy matters and suggest effective remedies to violations of minorities’ rights. In the third demand said that institute a statutory framework and a regulatory body for referral and redressal mechanism against any grievances in the implementation of five percent job quota reserved for religious minorities. The fourth demand was to introduce five percent quota for admissions for the minority students in all educational institutions at all levels in order to make the policy regarding job quota successful. The new education policy should reflect a regard for fundamental rights of religion freedom and non-discrimination with minorities promised in the constitution of Pakistan was the fifth demand. Further, honouring the promises in Articles 20 and 22 of the constitution of Pakistan, arrangements should be made for students belonging to minority religions so that they can study their own religions rather than Ethics as an alternative to Islamiat etc. The last demand was implementation of committees at federal and provincial levels must be set up to ensure an effective of orders in judgment issued by Supreme Court of Pakistan on June 19, 2014 and the recommendations of judicial inquiry of the Gojra tragedy of 2009. Published in Daily Times, May 28th 2018.