PESHAWAR - Representatives of different religions at a seminar have stressed the need for practically implementing the relevant laws enshrined in the constitution, which guarantee the rights of non-Muslim minorities in Pakistan.
The demand was made during an advocacy seminar titled "Religious Freedom and Rights of Minorities" organised by South Asia Partnership Pakistan (SAPP) held here at a temple on Friday. On the occasion Hindu religious ritual "Rakhi Bandhan" was performed. Members of civil society, women workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a large number of people from Hindu and Muslim communities took part in the ritual. A large number of people from different communities participated in the seminar to create brotherhood among different religious communities.
"We are Pakistanis and human being above all," Haroon Sarb Diyal, chairman All Pakistan Hindus Rights Movement, said while welcoming the participants. He also highlighted the problems confronting Hindu community, particularly religious freedom and protection of their temples and other religious places.
The speakers rejected the selection of minorities members instead of election in the electoral process, and urged the Commission working on electoral reforms to ensure their true participation in the electoral process.
They also demanded to ensure separate electoral process for minorities wherein they could elect their representatives through ballot.
Prominent among those who spoke on the occasion included Sardar Charan Jeet Singh, representative of Sikh community, Shehzad Murad, pastor of Diocese Church of Peshawar, Shahida Shah, representative of the South Asia Partnership, Khalid Ayub, a civil society member and chairman of Disputes Resolution Councils (DRC), Naila Naz, PTI women wing president of district Nowshera, and Nigar Rauf of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) from district Nowshera.