- PHC demands formation of parliamnetary committee for protection of minorities’ rights, ‘real’ representation of minorities in legislature
- Alleges 5,000 Hindus flee Sindh every year as PPP-led Sindh govt has failed to protect minorities
- Says blasphemy laws being misused to fulfill personal enmities and harrass minorities, calls for end to kidnapping of Hindu girls
The Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) Sunday demanded that the federal government form a parliamentary committee under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to protect the rights of minorities in the country.
Briefing media on decisions taken by the council in an emergency meeting held here at PHC Secretariat, PHC’s Chairman MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani demanded that minorities be entitled to the right of dual vote so they could have real representation in the country’s legislatures where their representation is subject to the likings of political parties who nominate them on reserved seats.
Flanked by PHC President Chelaram Kewlani, Vankwani claimed that at least 5,000 Hindus were forced to migrate from Sindh every year.
“No one ever likes to leave his homeland until his honour is at stake,” the PHC chief said.
He regretted that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)-led Sindh government had failed to address minorities issues including, protection of life, property, holy places, cemeteries, illegal occupation etc.
He said the misuse of the blasphemy laws on a larger scale had resulted in the harassment of minorities and to fulfill personal enmities.
Vankwani said that while a Christian couple was burnt alive in Kasur, underage Hindu girls like Anjali of Dherki, Kiran of Nawabshah and Jeoti of Hyderabad were kidnapped and are still missing.
“Enough is enough! Stop kidnapping our daughters now,” said the PHC chief.
The Kasur tragedy, President PHC Chelaram said, had created a panic among minorities who now were feeling more insecure.
He lamented that even the Supreme Court (SC) was unable to ensure strict implementation of the decrees it had given in 16 cases relating to issues ranging from kidnapping and forced conversion of Hindu girls to the occupation of Hindu lands by “land mafia”.
A three-member SC bench was to review progress on the apex court’s verdicts but to no avail, he said.
The PHC meeting, he said, had decided to formally demand the federal government of an “active” parliamentary committee to prevent increased atrocities against minorities, formation of a violence-free society and promote inter-faith harmony.
The members of the proposed body, he said, should include pro-minority lawmakers like State Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Aminul Hasnat, Shirani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Mir Hasil Bazinjo of Balochistan National Party (BNP), Khwaja Sohail of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Abdul Qehar Khan of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP), Federal Ports Minister Kamran Michael, a representative from every religious party and himself.
The absence of Hindu Marriage Registration Act, he said, was causing high-handedness against Hindus in Pakistan.
Setting December 5 as a date for the next PHC meeting, Vankwani said that the council again knock the SC’s door if the government failed to address its grievances.
PHC’s executive board tasked Vankwani to contact all stakeholders on the issue and also meet the PM to formally convey the council’s demands.
The PHC executive board meeting was attended by VP Hotchand Kirmani, GS Dr Deepak, Gopal Das, Raja Assarmal, Bharat Kumar, Pamanlal and other PHC office bearers.
