The newly reconstituted Human Rights Cell of the Pakistan Peoples Party has expressed its concern on the reports of forced conversions, especially of the Hindu women and girls.
In a meeting convened here by the Coordinator Dr Nafisa Shah the Cell, comprising herself and Sheikh Mansur, Rubina Qaimkhani, Shahjehan Sarfraz, Dr Zile Huma and Shahzia Tehmas, it was resolved that all efforts would be made for promoting the rights of the minorities within the party. “The Pakistan People’s Party has always been very clear on rights of minorities and their protection, as enshrined in the constitution,”
says the party’s Central Coordinator of Human Rights, Dr Nafisa Shah.
The Human Rights Cell has reported to the party leadership on this matter, and has recommended that there should be legal reforms, especially in the standard operation procedures of the law enforcement agencies, which should ensure than any runaway girls or those kidnapped should have the neutral institutional space where they are able to take decisions on both issues of religion and marriage, free come any influence or coercion.
The Human Rights Cell decided to undertake visits to the Women Crisis Centres and report to the party on the state of refuges. The cell would also undertake visits
to various prisons in the country to meet with the inmates and assess the state of detention centres and propose necessary reforms to the Party.