Meeting tries to find solutions to problems of Sindh’s minorities

The rise in forced conversions and underage marriages, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) shying away from resurrecting and passing the bill criminalising forced conversions, and implementation of the decision to reserve five per cent of the government jobs for religious minorities were some of the issues discussed in a public gathering on Sunday.

The discussion titled ‘Public Assembly on Minority Rights: Protect Underage Marriages and Forced Conversions’ was organised by a group of civil society activists at the Muhammad Siddique Memon Scout Auditorium of the Sindh Boy Scouts Association. A large number of minority lawmakers and activists from across the province attended the meeting.

Naghma Sheikh said that the main purpose of organising the assembly was to bring all the stakeholders on board to discuss and find solutions to the problems that minority communities in Sindh are facing.

The meeting lamented that abductions, forced conversions and forced marriages of teenaged Hindu girls are on the rise across the province. Forced conversions are too easily and too often disguised as voluntary conversions, leaving especially minor girls vulnerable, they said.

They said that forced conversions and marriages violate human rights as well as Islamic principles. They called for passing the bill against forced conversions and asked the PPP leadership not to deprive the religious minorities of their rights simply to appease extremist groups.

One of the participants suggested that the civil society should consult the minority lawmakers elected on reserved seats on the ticket of religious parties, such as the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and the Jamaat-e-Islami, and ask them to persuade their leaders not to oppose the bill’s passage.

Social media campaigner Mukesh Meghwar asked lawmakers to study the bill and share it with the civil society and minority rights activists before presenting it in the assembly.

Activist Kapil Dev said that Sindh is known for Sufi and liberal values but it is unfortunate that Hindu girls are being kidnapped and forcibly converted and married only in the province. “Even in the tribal areas, where a significant number of minorities live, we have not heard reports of forced conversions.”

He said that the provincial authorities are afraid to take action against two spiritual figures — Mian Mithoo and Pir Ayub Jan Sarhandi — over their alleged involvement in forced conversions. Activist Zahid Farooq cited discriminatory government advertisements and said that Christians in Pakistan have been assigned jobs described as “degrading”. He demanded better implementation of the five per cent job quota decision.

The minority lawmakers who attended the meeting included Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA Lal Chand Malhi, Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister Veerji Kohli, PPP MPAs Anthony Naveed and Lal Chand, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan MPA Mangla Sharma and PPP Punjab MNA Naveed Aamir Jeeva.

On behalf of Muslim lawmakers, only Nusrat Sehar Abbasi of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional attended the meeting. Activists Peter Jacob, Nuzhat Shirin, Anis Haroon and Mahnaz Rahman were also present. Besides Naghma, the key organisers of the event were Ali Palh, Seema Maheshwari, Krishna Sharma and Zulfiqar Shah.