Ambedkar Society for South Asia (ASSA) and Jinnah-Ambedkar Chair, Centre for South Asian Studies, University of The Punjab, organized a webinar on August 11th, 2024, to mark National Minority Day.
The webinar, titled "Minorities & Constitutional Rights", featured a panel of distinguished guest speakers from various minority communities in Pakistan. The panel consisted of 4 representatives of different minority communities were invited but Mr. Ramesh Singh Arora, Current Minister for Minority Affairs, Punjab could not managed to join the webinar due to his busy schedule while other speakers participated were:
1- Mangla Sharma, Ex-MPA and Board Member Pakistan Hindu Council, Human Rights and Minority Rights activist from Hindu Community, Sindh.
2- Asif Aqeel, Journalist and Columnist from Christian Community, Punjab.
3- Haroon Sarbdiyal, Human Rights Activist and Journalist from Hindu Community, KPK.
The speakers discussed the basic issues faced by minorities in Pakistan and referenced recent and past incidents that have affected them. They highlighted that while there are many positive aspects of living in Pakistan, there are also challenges that need to be addressed. The constitution of Pakistan has many provisions to protect and ensure the rights of minorities, and the state has always responded positively in cases of incidents. The speakers emphasized that despite these challenges, there is hope for improvement. They stressed the importance of promoting tolerance and understanding among communities to ensure peace and harmony. The webinar provided a platform for discussion and dialogue among the speakers and the audience, highlighting the need for collective action to address the issues faced by minorities in Pakistan. Asif Aqeel, a journalist and columnist from the Christian Community, criticized the overall environment in Pakistan regarding minorities. He said, "Pakistan has been plagued by a culture of intolerance and extremism, which has led to numerous incidents of violence and persecution against minorities". From the forced conversions of Hindus to the attacks on churches and other places of worship, the situation must be handled wisely. However, I believe that there are ways to address these issues. We need to promote education and awareness about religious freedom and tolerance and we need to hold accountable those who perpetrate violence against minorities. Mangla Sharma, Ex-MPA and Board Member Pakistan Hindu Council, shared her positive experiences as a minority in Pakistan. She said, "I have had a very nice experience throughout my life,". "Majority always supported me and respected my rights. I believe that we should focus on promoting unity and harmony among communities." We need to identify the root causes of these issues and work towards addressing them. "We need to promote education and economic empowerment among minority communities, and we need to ensure that their rights are protected by law." Haroon Sarbdiyal, Human Rights Activist and Journalist from Hindu Community, KPK, called for greater awareness about the issues faced by minorities in Pakistan. He said that we need to raise awareness about the plight of minorities in Pakistan. We need to educate people about the importance of religious freedom and tolerance and we need to work towards creating a more inclusive society.
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