the “All-Pakistan Minorities Alliance” in 1985.
Bhatti was assassinated in early March 2011 in an attack on his vehicle in Islamabad.
Michael Javed, a former Sindh parliamentarian and a close aide of Bhatti, said the slain minority leader had joined the PPP in 2002 and worked tirelessly to protect the rights of non-Muslim communities during the PPP government from 2008 till his assassination.
Because of Bhatti’s hard work, the then prime minister, Yousaf Raza Gilani, had declared August 11 as the National Minority Day, he added
However, he said, other political parties had shown that they did not approve of observing the day by not organising any activities. “It was Bibi’s [Benazir Bhutto’s] dream that the entire nation should celebrate the day.”
Javed also said there had always been a lot of discussion on the rights of the non-Muslims in Pakistan, but hardly any tangible action had taken place to make the communities feel that any change was coming into their lives.
Issues of non-Muslims
Non-Muslim leaders say that the government was not interested in addressing the issues faced by religious minorities.
Javed demanded that the number of parliamentary seats reserved for non-Muslims should be increased.
The total number of seats in the National Assembly has been increased from 217 to 342, but the non-Muslims’ quota in the legislature remains 10, he pointed out.
However, he added, four seats for non-Muslims had been reserved in the Senate.
“At that time, the PPP, especially Benazir, had plans to send non-Muslims as ambassadors to other countries and appoint a non-Muslim governor in one of the four provinces. But her dream remained unfulfilled,” he said.
Sardar Ramesh Singh, the head of the Pakistan Sikh Council, said it was the responsibility of the government to provide non-Muslim communities with religious freedom, ensure the sanctity of their worship places, protect their lives and properties, and grant them their fundamental rights that were enshrined in the Constitution.
“The government should involve genuine religious minority leaders in the policy-making concerning the issues of non-Muslims,” he added.