PESHAWAR
The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter organized a consultative meeting here on Monday.
Manzoor Masih, a minority member for human rights, chaired the meeting which was attended by MPA Wilson Minister, Chief Khatib Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, and Bishop of Church of Pakistan Haroon Sarabdiyal from Hindu community, representatives of Christian community and other minority community.
The participants of the meeting condemn the burning of a Sri Lankan citizen in Sialkot. The members call for religious harmony in the country and urged the people from all walks of life to work jointly for the development of the country.
All people living in Pakistan are equal citizens and have equal rights, adding that all citizens are equal patriots and are about to sacrifice their lives for the country.
The participants of the meeting expressed concern over the rising trend of religious extremism and called for urgent measures to curb it.
Minority community should be involved in legislation and decision making, they added.
Political parties should be bound by the Election Commission for the minority community to contest elections on general seats.
Addressing the meeting, Member Minority Rights Manzoor Masih said that a 5% quota for minority community would be made a part of Esta Code.
The national syllabus needs to be revised to curb extremism.
New legislation for minorities and amendments to existing laws are essential.
Maulana Tayyab, Chief Khatib KP highlighted the rights of the minority community in Islam and the importance of tolerance and brotherhood in the Islamic way of life.
“Islam believes in interfaith harmony and everyone has religious freedom,” he added.
Maulana clarified that the incident of the Sri Lankan citizen was condemned by all religions and schools of thought. Islam does not teach extremism, everyone is the same in Islam, Islam believes in protection of fundamental rights.
He added that the protection of the minorities in the state of Madinah and their prosperity is the responsibility of the government of the day.
