Daily Times

It is imperative to have a legal framework to curb the practices of forced conversion and underage marriages. Political decision-makers and authorities should ensure the equality of citizenship and opportunities and should protect the reserved quotas for minorities through a comprehensive legal framework. Civil society activists raised such demands at a protest staged by the National Minorities Alliance of Pakistan, which was also joined by other stakeholders, including the District Action Committee for Social Harmony and Rawadari Tehreek.

Key speakers – Lala Robin Daniel, Manzoor Anthony, Samson Salamat, Sonia Patras and Muhammad Amin – raised their grave concerns on the recent rejection of the Forced Conversion Bill by the Senate Committee. Chairman National Minorities Alliance of Pakistan Lala Robin Daniel said, “The increasing number of cases of conversion of minor minority girls which is concluded on marriage unable to drag the attention of law enforcers and other political decision-makers. Such intentional negligence of the decision-makers has spread a sense of insecurity and disappointment among Pakistan’s religious minorities, affecting national unity and social harmony.”

“Such biased gestures by the lawmakers would fuel hatred and widen the gulf between minority and majority”, added he. Coordinator AWAM Pakistan, Sonia Patras condemned, “the women belonging to religious minorities become more vulnerable to face the multiple forms of violence owing to their faith as compared to women of faith. It is imperative to have a comprehensive law and strong implementation mechanism to protect the women in general and women belonging to religious minorities in specific added she. Chairman Rawadari Tehreek, Samson Salamat said, “Though Pakistan’s constitution protects the rights of religious minorities and provided several grounds to ensure equality of citizenship and opportunities, the minority groups still facing the discrimination and exploitation merely having a distinct identity.” The state must ensure the implementation of the constitutional provision and protect the rights of religious minorities as agreed in statutes.

Coordinator District Action Committee for Social Harmony Manzoor Anthony said, “To ensure national unity and strengthen the social fabric in such a diverse society as Pakistan laws makers need to adopt a multi-dimensional approach. The legislatures must play their due role and should introduce such laws and policies that are meant to empower less-privileged groups for bridging the gap between minority and majority.”

Muhammad Noorul Amin, freelance journalist and member of PFUJ Federal Executive Council said, “The authorities’ attitude of shrugging the shoulders to protect minority rights as accord to national and international context is as burying the head in the sand, thus encouraging the societal imbalance, deprivation, injustice, and religious hatred.” The authorities should consider and incorporate the demands of less-privileged groups considering the constitutional as well as international commitments, he demanded.