Daily Times

KARACHI: Pakistan Hindu Council leader and Member of National Assembly (MNA) Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani on Saturday asked former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari to immediately arrange an All Parties Conference (APC) to review the recently-passed Protection of Minorities Bill 2015 of the Sindh Assembly over the much-discussed issue of forced conversion of religion.

He suggested that all political and religious parliamentary parties of Sindh must be invited to review the bill. The lawmaker said that the unanimously-passed bill could not be called ‘controversial’ and the motive behind the bill was to prevent the incidents of kidnappings and forced conversions of teenage Hindu girls, while ensuring the respect to all religions.

He said that no civilised society allows under age citizens for driving, smoking, applying for regular employment, registering marriage, obtaining driving license and passport, and other life issues. “The possible return of unanimously-approved bill would not only increase the sense of insecurity among non-Muslim citizens, but also put a question mark on Pakistan’s parliamentary system on international level,” he pointed out.

Dr Vankwani once again said that the Pakistan Hindu Council has never oppose religious conversion as a result of preaching or studying the religion but the real issue was the safety of the immature juvenile victim girls in Sindh who are abducted, forced to convert religion and thus separated from their parents. He said that no one can better takecare of immature children than parents.

In Islamic countries like Malaysia, consent of parents of under-18 children for religion conversion was necessary according to local laws, he said. Commenting about the protest of religious parties, he said that he respects follower of every religion and was ready to play active role to remove the concerns of all stakeholders. On the occasion, he said that the Pakistan Hindu Council highly encourages debate and dialogue between the parliamentary parties.

Keeping in view the sensitivity of the issue, “I would like to suggest Mr Asif Ali Zardari to call All Parties Conference so that mutual consciousness could be made after listening to the view points of the Pakistan Hindu Council and other religious parties,” he said. He assured his commitment to represent the Hindu community at the All Parties Conference.