PIL Forms "All Christian Grand Alliance" To Safeguards Rights Of Minorities

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PIL forms "All Christian Grand Alliance" to safeguards rights of minorities

Chairman Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL) Sajid Ishaq held a Press Conference here on Thursday May 17, 2018

Islamabad, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 17th May, 2018) : Chairman Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL) Sajid Ishaq held a Press Conference here on Thursday May 17, 2018. He said that the press conference was in continuation of PIL Campaign which was announced on April 17, 2018 that Pakistan Interfaith League will be reaching out to the Christian Community from Khyber to Sindh for providing them awareness regarding their Constitutional Rights and their long awaited demands for Electoral Reforms for the Minorities.

Sajid Ishaq said that the suggestion for forming a "All Christian Grand Alliance" was put up by Pakistan Interfaith League which was unanimously approved by the Christian Minorities of Pakistan as they are now well aware of the demands that need to be fulfilled for their true representation in the Parliament.

He said that the evidence of the success of PIL's one month Campaign is that today 5 Christian political movements, Pakistan Minority Alliance, All Pakistan Christian League, Minorities Alliance Pakistan, Maseehi Awami Party and Rawadari Tehreek from KPK, North Punjab, Central Punjab and Sindh while 5 elected District Members from Punjab have joined hands with PIL and approved the suggestion of forming a "All Christian Grand Alliance".

The chairman PIL said that Pakistan Interfaith League was receiving appreciation not only from Pakistani Christians but from overseas Christians for raising voice against the long pending injustices.

He said that Church leadership and general masses have shown their full confidence and support for the campaign launched by Pakistan Interfaith League. Sajid Ishaq said that the PIL has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of Pakistan on May 15, 2018 appealing justice on the issues that he would be elaborating during the press conference.

Sajid Ishaq said that Pakistan Interfaith League demanded from the Federal Bureau of Statics to release Population Census data 2017 of Non-Muslim Pakistanis which is being unnecessarily delayed and causing ambiguities in the correct figure of the Minority population in Pakistan.

The Chairman PIL said that the Religious Minorities believe that the Population Census data of the Non-Muslim Pakistanis is being intentionally delayed in order to discourage their true representation in the Parliament.

Further elaborating he said that the demand of increasing the reserved seats of the Minorities was presented twice in the National Assembly between 2008 (PPP Government) and 2013 (PML-N Government) however both the times it was struck down on the pretext that the issue would be taken up after the next census.

Sajid Ishaq said that the plight of the matter is that even after the 2017 population census, the data of the minority population was deliberately held back and the living proof is that the Election Reforms Committee yet again denying the constitutional rights of increasing the reserved seats of the minorities.

He also highlighted the grievance that the Election Reforms Committee comprised only of members of the Majority community, with no member from the minority community. Sajid Ishaq demanded that Electoral Reforms should be made and the present practice of "Selection" should be abolished and "Election" should be promulgated so that the Minority representatives are accountable to their voters instead of their Political Parties.

He further pointed out that Non-Muslim Constituencies should be divided Province wise, in accordance to their population in each province. Sajid Ishaq also said that Non-Muslim Pakistanis demand their constitutional rights from all political parties of Islamic Republic of Pakistan; protection of the rights of the Non-Muslim Pakistanis should be incorporated in their party manifestos.

Pakistan Interfaith League (PIL) is a socio-political movement which believes that instead of treating people with different religious beliefs as minorities they should be given equal status as all other Pakistanis.; they should be considered an integral part of Pakistan as they are proud to be Pakistanis.