Calling minorities an integral part of the Pakistani society, Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf said the government was considering promulgation of personal laws for them, including separate marriage and divorce bills for Christians and Hindus.
Addressing at a function to mark International Human Rights Day at the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Ashraf said the step would fulfil a longstanding demand and bring them at par with the Muslim citizens of the state.
The event to commemorate the passage of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 by the United Nations’ General Assembly, was attended by federal ministers, parliamentarians, ambassadors, representatives of UN Agencies, non-governmental organisations and human rights activists.
The prime minister said minorities had played an important role in the development of the country. He mentioned that the government had increased the number of seats for minorities in the Senate besides fixing a quota in the civil services.
He said Pakistan’s role in protecting human rights had been recognised globally and said Pakistan had been elected a member of the UN Human Rights Council for three years, with 171 countries of 191 supporting its membership.
Ashraf called it recognition of the government’s efforts to further the cause of human rights in Pakistan as well as of its standing in the comity of nations.
He said the government was considering the appointment of Human Rights Defenders under the Ministry of Human Rights.
The prime minister said Pakistan would continue fighting the war against terrorism to secure the future of its children.
“We will never accept the narrow-minded and bigoted agenda of extremists,” he said and urged the people of Pakistan to join hands with the government and the civil society for promotion of human rights.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to create an environment conducive to peace, democracy and human rights in the country.
Prime Minister Ashraf interlinking democracy and peace said the road to durable peace was paved by representative and effective democratic institutions.
“Our tenure is a story of struggle for democracy, nurturing of institutions, upholding of rights of the marginalised sections of society and fight against non-state elements who threaten the life and property of our citizens,” the prime minister said.
Ashraf said Islam considered human rights sacrosanct and accorded it top priority. “The Charter of Madina presented by the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stipulated equal political, cultural and religious rights to the non-Muslims,” he added.
He said Muslims learnt the lesson of egalitarianism and human rights 1,400 years ago.
Prime Minister Ashraf said the UN Declaration of Human Rights was a comprehensive document and a solemn expression of the world’s commitment to secure the fundamental rights of all individuals irrespective of any discrimination.
He said the day served as a symbol for the protection of life, dignity, liberty, honour and security of each person living on this planet.
The prime minister said the constitution guaranteed fundamental rights to its citizens, adding that human rights were an essential component of public policy of the government that had put in place mechanisms for their advancement.
Ashraf said the way the whole nation came together in support of Malala Yousafzai reflected the national consensus and the will of the nation to protect its values, culture, and way of life.
