European MPs want Pakistan to check sectarian killings

BRUSSELS: European Parliament members have expressed concern over the rise of sectarian violence in Pakistan and the ability of militants to strike their victims with impunity.
A major interfaith conference related to Pakistan situation in the European Parliament heard various MEPs strongly criticising the Pakistanis authorities for failing to curb activities of militants and condemned the violation of rights of religious minorities by a handful of extremists. They called on the government to take action against organisations that preach hatred against innocent citizens.
Dr Charles Tannock MEP said it was true that hard-line Islamists don’t represent Islamists as a whole but their violent world view needs to be checked by the governments as it was posing threat to the western national security.
In Pakistan, he said, the extremists have been able to push forward with their agenda and this endangers Pakistan’s national interests as well as rest of the world. “Religious extremism threatens all of us and our human rights. Terrorism anywhere is a threat to the whole world and we live under its shadows.
He added that barely a month goes by without attacks on religious minorities in Pakistan and their holy places are under attack more than ever before. Baroness Sarah Ludford said that responding to the challenge of extremism is “need of the hour”.
She said that many Islamic countries including Pakistan need to adopt diversity of thoughts and cultures to make progress and end violence. “Values of freedom, respect, diversity and plurality should be strengthened in societies where communities are under attack from the proponents of hatred and extremism.
Discrimination, hatred and issues that create violence need to be tackled everywhere. We cannot remain insolent in today’s globalised world over the persecution of people on the basis of their religious beliefs. Malala Yousafzai shows us all the way why its necessary to speak up against extremist threat,” she said.
Claude Moraes MEP said that tolerance and respect are not clichés anymore. “The EU parliament is an example of cross cultural experience. I have frequently tabled resolutions on the persecution of Christians and other faith groups in Pakistan and I will work with other colleagues to highlight the injustice that is peddled.
Green MEP Jean Lambert said it was encouraging that Pakistan looked set to transfer power from one elected government to another which was a sign of the country maturing up democratically but she said that the situation of human rights was alarming.
She spoke about her visit to Pakistan earlier this year and how she raised “the issues of women, death penalty and treatment of various faiths and communities”.
Tunne Kelam MEP said Pakistan’s vast majority were tolerant people who wanted to get on with their lives in peace but a tiny and determined lobby was utilizing its position to persecute other Pakistanis who didn’t necessarily agree with the extremist worldview of the hate-mongers.