ISLAMABAD-The human rights has urged the government to implement the Supreme Court’s 2014 verdict on protection of minorities in the country.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) held a conference to discuss the verdict of SC passed in 2014 regarding providing protection and jobs to the minorities.
In the conference, notable human rights activists from minorities urged the government to implement the decision of SC, which is being neglected for the last five years.
Addressing the conference, Advocate M. Parkash Mahtani said that the SC’s 2014 judgment was a significant development for minorities and was equally worthy like Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah August 11, speech as both gave protection to minorities.
He said, however, it is unfortunate the historic decision was not implemented by the governments. He added that the SC verdict addressed the minorities’ rights on property and issues of hate speech.
He said that single member commission headed by Dr Shoaib Suddle remained unsuccessful in implement the decision due to administrative hurdles in five years. “We are still waiting for its implementation and waiting for justice,” he said.
Activist Qamar Suleman expressing his views said that non-implementation on the SC decision will led us to observe its anniversary next year.
He said that minorities worship places faced 86 attacks and maximum of them were mob attacks, adding some of the religious places of a particular community are still sealed by the government.
He said that the SC’s 2014 verdict provided protection to the minorities of the country but was not implemented by the government. He urged the government to make a trained force for the protection of worship places of the minorities.
Dr Kalyan Singh on this occasion said that hope of implementation on the June 4, 2014 SC judgment is fading now, and likely the decision’s anniversary will be observed.
He said that despite the judgment, the government departments didn’t cooperate with the commission for its implementation which would have provided a relief to the minorities.
He said that implementation had contributed to make the minorities financially strong in the country.
Representative of Kalash community Imran Kabir said that the size of community is shrinking and now only 3,800 individuals of Kalash community are left.
He said around two-dozen people of the community converted their religion in the near past.
Imarn added that the community in 2015 local bodies’ elections had won majority seats but political rivals played religion card against them.
Human Rights Activist I.A Rehman in his keynote address said that government should take measures to immediately implement the SC 214, judgment.
He also said that implementation on the judgment is not just a matter of concern for minorities alone but it concerns to the entire country. He also said that state has created an environment wherein media is afraid to discuss the problems being faced by minorities.
Rights activists Tahira Abdullah said that the commission should work to allocate the education quota for minorities along with job quota so the vacant seats should remain within the minorities.