Pakistani Christian demand Dual Vote and repeal of blasphemy law. HRFP
Islamabad: July 13, 2011. (PCP) Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) organized a Press Conference on “the minorities’ issues”. The Minorities leaders of Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and others also speak at the conference.
Naveed Walter President HRFP said in his news conference “The minorities’ role in the movement of Pakistan, in the formation of Pakistan and in the development of Pakistan is not unknown. The minorities showed their fully confidence on the leadership of Pakistan‘s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah (Quaid-e-Azam), was actually a confidence on the vision, thought and philosophy of state when the minorities leadership gives their right of confidence in the favor of Pakistan”.
The HRFP states that the founder of Pakistan said in his first constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947.
“You are free; you are free to go to your temples, and you are free to go to your Mosques or to any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed that has nothing to do with the business of the state” (Muhammad Ali Jinnah , a founder of Pakistan’s presidential address to the first constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947)
Naveed Walter said more, the Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) and the minorities’ leaders’ demands to the Government,
1. The minorities have faced the problems, must be solved and the immediate steps must be taken by the Government. The violence against minorities must be ended and the minorities rights must be restored accordingly the UN charter of Human Rights.
2. The discriminatory laws against minorities must be reviewed and the blasphemy laws 295 (B/C) must be repealed because the minorities have reservations on these laws. Also, the prisoner victims must be released on immediate basis and they and their families must be secured.
3. In Balochistan province and in the other parts of Pakistan , where the Government’s rite is not visible, the justice and security must be provided to the minorities there.
4. The legislation is needed in the favor of women in specific; to solve their problems especially in the hadood ordinance & rapes and Government must take the steps to decrease the incidents /cases of violence against them.
5. The minorities & women must have the basic human rights and the Government have to take the steps and it must ensure that the mechanism in which the justice, rehabilitation and security is reachable to them easily.
6. The Government has to give the free of cost, the legal and rehabilitation aid to minorities & women.
7. Same like the Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) the minorities demand the double vote electoral system. The representation of the minorities in Assemblies must be increased.
8. “Hindu marriage registration act” and those Hindu’s Mandirs( Temples ) must be given to Hindus leadership who are still under the custody of Government of Pakistan .
9. The devaluation of federal ministry for minorities must be cancelled.
10. The honor killing cases against women must be ended and ensured.
11. The 5% quota to minorities is given but its implementation does not exist still.
12.Announcement : Human Rights Focus Pakistan and the minorities leaders and their organizations announce that the “Minorities Rights Rally “ will be launched on the August 11, 2011( minorities day ) in front of Parliament House , Islamabad .
Mr. Haroon Sarab Diyyal ( Hindus Rights Activist ) , Miss Sonia ( Coordinator for HRFP – Azad Jammue & Kashmir-AJK), Mr.Samuel Yaqub (Christians Rights Activist) ,Saradar Jagmohan Singh ( Sikhs Rights Activist ) and Daniel Masih (Minority Political worker) also speaks at the news conference .
Pakistan Christian Post