The director of the HRCP, Farah Zia, recalled that the national commission for minorities created in 2020 did not respond to the demands of minorities. She wants an autonomous commission based on the design of the Paris Principles.
In a statement, the HRCP said representatives of minority groups, government departments, political parties, the Ministry of Human Rights, the National Human Rights Commission and rights organizations gave various tips related to the status quo of the commission.
Pritam Das Rathi, from the Hindu community, said the maximum number of members will have to be from minority communities. The commission is required to report quarterly on the situation of minority rights to the Prime Minister of Pakistan. Meanwhile, Professor Mehar Dad, from the Baha’i community, said the commission’s role should be extended to all regions.
Father Sarfraz Simon, from the Christian community, said the school curriculum wants to be reformed to include hate speech and highlight the role of minorities in the formation of Pakistan, according to the Dawn report.
Mahmood Iftikhar, from the Ahmadiyya community, under pressure that the commission will have to include the rights of vulnerable groups such as Ahmadis, who have faced desecrations of their places of worship in 2023.
Human rights activist Peter Jacob said Jillani’s ruling referred to majoritarian imbalances in institutions. Jacob called on political parties to include the implementation of Jillani’s ruling in their election manifestos.
JUI-F representative Aasia Nasir said the National Commission for Minorities wants to focus on people, with separate budget allocations and a transparent mandate, Dawn reported.
Shoaib Suddle, from the Suddle Commission, explained how societal attitudes want to change. In addition, HRCP board member Farhatullah Babar called for addressing the majority biases in the refusal to conform to the validity of the commission.
HRCP council member Hina Jilani suggested developing a statute for a commission after a wide discussion. Jilani called for the inclusion of Ahmadi representatives in the commission to uphold their rights, Dawn reported.
HRCP’s secretary-general, Harris Khalique, said that the national commission for the rights of minorities must meet internal accountability mechanisms and the Paris Principles in terms of its formation, mandate, resources and authority.
In early November, Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) called for justice for Mehwish Iram and Irfan Tariq Masih, who belonged to the Christian minority and faced devout persecution in the workplace. Mehwish was allegedly harassed and blackmailed, while Irfan was subjected to violence.
“HRFP is concerned about the increasing number of incidents of discrimination, violence, and harassment against minority workers in the workplace. Even in high-level jobs, such as that of Shaukat Masih, a deputy commissioner of Jaranwala, he was discriminated against and attacked. “On August 16, 2023, his space was attacked, he was burned but he fled with his family,” he said.
HRFP cited several case studies and said there are a number of examples of “biased behavior by employers” due to their ideals and the discrimination and non-public grudges of their colleagues, many of whom have been victimized.
In a statement, the HRFP said: “In the case of lower-quality jobs, peak disruptions go unreported because employers, co-consumers and consumers remain in the minority under pressure. »
“Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmdiyya and other minorities have been victims in other ways, such as accusations of blasphemy and sexual harassment; theft allegations are all too common against minority workers in underage workplaces, HRFP’s case studies revealed,” he revealed. . aggregate.
The HRFP said Christian girl Mehwish Iram and Christian boy Irfan Masih are the “victims of same, theft allegations with harassments, forcefully conversions and threats as well.” According to HRFP, Mehwish Iram has been alleged for theft of PKR 100000 and stealing valuables like color machine and other items from beauty salon and attached home worth PKR 200000.
In the statement, HRFP said: “In the case of Irfan Masih, due to discrimination and violence for leaving his job, on 18 May 2023, the owner Athar Bukhari filed a complaint with the police that Irfan had stolen his valuables. Bukhari accused Irfan of stealing 8 gold tola. de (93. 6 grams) from his home and will no longer come from April 12, 2023. “
He said Masih was released on bail on Aug. 25 and is not guilty. However, he said the case is still on trial. The HRFP team established the facts in both cases, accumulating data and evidence indicating that the cases are based on devout persecution. (ANI)