Don’t call people ‘minority or majority as we all are Pakistanis’

Islamabad: Do not call people minority or majority on the basis of respective religions as we all are Pakistanis and form one unity instead of disunity on religious grounds.
This was the consensus of the participants of a seminar and report launch on ‘Making the Unequal Equal: Parliamentarians’ Initiative for Minorities’ organised as part of Pakistan Religious Freedom Initiative by Pattan Development Foundation at the auditorium of Pakistan Institute for Parliamentary Services here on Tuesday.
Sarwar Bari said that Article 33 seeks equal rights for all and is against spread of hatred but textbooks spread hate material. Rather it has spread more in recent years.
He said that in the Pattan survey, 84 per cent people said that our texts contain hate material. He said that 81% respondents said that after introduction of blasphemy laws, violence against minorities increased. Governments do not protect minorities, said 89% respondents. Eighty-one per cent of those surveyed said that political parties do not give leader roles to minority members. He said that as part of a strategy to cope with discrimination, a large number of minority members adopted Muslim names.
He referred to Jhelum incident that exposed apathy of the people, rules and police. He said that segregation is adopted in society, even in Parliament where despite inflation in MPs seats, the reserved seats for minority members were not increased. He called for implementing National Action Plan. Mr Bari lamented that all liberal, progressive and democratic countries in the West are supporting repressive dictatorial governments.
Maulana Ghafoor Haidery, deputy Senate chairman, said that inter-faith harmony ensures way to political, social and economic progress. He said we need human values and religions have tolerance and acceptability. Reading from prepared text, he said that we should help to increase happiness for all. He criticised the efforts to link extremism with Muslims. He said extremism from whatever religion should not lead to defaming a religion. He called for debate on religion and listening to each other for creating religious harmony. He said taking life of others on religious grounds is a crime against humanity. It was a pleasant surprise from a JUI leader referring to Aug 11, 1947, speech of the Father of the Nation and terming it as a landmark address in the direction of religious harmony. He said that attacking churches, mandars etc against the action of some fire worshippers somewhere is not an act or some party or group.