[DAWN] PESHAWAR: Speakers at a dialogue on the rights of non-Moslems on Tuesday called for speedy work on the Minorities' Property Protection Bill saying the proposed legislation will ensure protection of their land and action against land grabbers in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central...
. The dialogue on 'religious freedom and minority rights' was organised by South Asia Partnership Pakistain (SAP-Pk) at a local hotel.
Noted among speakers were chairman of All Pakistain Hindus' Right Movement Haroon Sarab Diyal, Bishop of Church of Pakistain Arglican Orthodox, Augustin Jacob, Bishan Lal Sunil, Muqsood Salfi, Arif Saeed, Robina Masih, Shahida Shah and Saman Ara of SAP.
Condemning the publication of a blasphemous article against Hinduism in an Urdu magazine, the speakers expressed concern
...meaning the brow was mildly wrinkled, the eyebrows drawn slightly together, and a thoughtful expression assumed, not that anything was actually done or indeed that any thought was actually expended...
over the 'irresponsible' attitude and policy of the magazine editors and owner and declared it an attempt to incite Moslems against Hindu community in the country.
They said the publication of the blasphemous article in the magazine was tantamount to pitting Moslems against Hindus and therefore, stern action should be taken against the writer in question.
The speakers also demanded that the blasphemous case be sent to a military court for trial. Diyal and Bishan Lal said the article writer tried to defame Hindus by using provocative words about their holy book, Ramayan.
They said Hindus currently living in Pakistain had not migrated from India at the time of Partition and instead, they were citizens of Pakistain. The speakers said the blasphemous article badly hurt religious feelings and sentiments of non-Moslems living in the country. They said non-Moslems faced discriminatory laws, insufficient educational facilities and job quota issues, while they were subjected to forced conversion, exploitation and assassinations.
The speakers appreciated the issuance of a notification by the provincial governor about domicile of non-Moslems living in Fata and regretted despite living in tribal region for centuries, non-Moslems had been denied local domicile.