Daily Times

KARACHI: AGHS-Legal Aid Cell, civil rights organization, in collaboration with Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), has demanded the federal and the provincial governments to revise and amend the laws which discriminate against religious minorities in Pakistan.

Addressing press conference at Karachi Press Club on Friday, Zuhra Yusuf, the chairperson of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) highlighted the proposed point related to rights of minorities which states “Any advocacy of sectarian or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to violence shall be punished with rigorous imprisonment of up to ten years or fine up to Rs.2, 500,000 or both”.

Moreover she said that the seminaries of various sects stimulate and arouse hatred-sentiments among people who blindly follow them.

Another speaker Uzma Noorani, of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that fifty percent minorities are victims of discrimination in Sindh which is really pitiful.

She said that Zakat and Usher are part of larger trend towards Muslim-centric legislation that either ignores or totally excludes religious minorities. She stressed on the need to amend and to improve legislations which provide equal rights to all citizen without any discrimination.

Ghazi Salahuddin of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP),while talking to Daily Times said that between 14-16 year-age girls are forcefully converted ; this needs to be tackled by making changes to the laws that protect the rights of minorities to save their socially and economically weak position.

He further said that through an amendment to Rule 7 of National Database Rules, 2017, the marriage certificate issued by Hindu Panchayat should be recognized as a valid document for the purposes of issuance of certificate/national identity card under the rules unless the government makes alternate provision for registration.

Shanzey Tariq from AGHS proposed that the evacuee Trust Properties (Management and Disposal) Act,1975 be repealed as a whole and evacuee properties should be handed over to the recognized religious or community based organizations of the relevant religious minorities.

She stressed that religious minorities should be given representation in the Evacuee Trust Property Board and the chairman should be from such minorities.

Legislation needs to be passed to ensure the protection of places of worship, declaring these places high security areas, making it necessary for the government to give them protection. The law makers should, without prejudice, review the outcomes of the changes made in the offences against religion and amend it so that it is compatible with human rights and protection for the accused, mob violence and unfair trial.