90% Pakistani Christian favour Refugee Status from UN after rising violence. By Nazir S Bhatti

90% Pakistani Christian favour Refugee Status from UN after rising violence. By Nazir S Bhatti

I recieved an e-Mail from one of my friend on Facebok to whom I have never met nor knew in person. He wrote it in Roman-Urdu lanuage which I am copying as it is: "Dear Brother, Aj kal ki jo situation ha pakistan mein Christians ki wo sab achhi tarah jantay hein. I humbly requested you to please try to take step on this way> I know its not easy , But nothing is impossible: * You all Christian NGO's and Religious Leaders , Ap sab mil ke Christian countries ko request karein k wo ham sab ko pakistan se nikal le jaein. for e.g Italy, Denmark, Austrailia, New ZeaLand, Canada and so many other coutries can accommodate us. as you people are trying to get a separate province in punjab, I think instead of this moving from there is an easy and permanant solution. so please think on this. May Christ bless to all of Us"

If, I will translate this e-mail, it simply says that all Christian leaders and Civil Society shall raise issue of situation of Pakistani Christian on International Forums and urge Western Countries to give refuge to Christians that they may have peacful life.

I have posted this e-mail because it is one of hundrdres which I recieve every week from my Christian readers of Pakistan Christian Post who want to flee for freedom from slavery in Islamic Republic of Pakistan which are from activists of different groups but it is from a common Christian who can not even write in English but using social media to express his burden in life.

Pakistan Christian Congress PCC in a petition urged Mr. Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of United Nation to award Refugee Status to Pakistani Christians after rising violence against Christians after UN Security Council Resolution to action in Afghanistan after 9/11 attack in USA, from terrorists based in Afghanistan.

PCC in its petition to UN for refugee status outlined that 20 million Pakistani Christians are facing constitutional genocide in Islamic Republic of Pakistan after implementation of Sharia law and other Islamic law which protect Islamic elements on enforced conversion of Christian women, killing of Christian on pretext to blasphemy law, attacks on worship places of Christians and to ransack Christian properties.

PCC also raised issue of Christian representation in democratic institutions which is blocked by government by imposing Joint Electorate in which Muslim political parties are empowered to Select Christians in Parliament instead of Election, to end voice of Christians in Assemblies of Pakistan.

Pakistan Christian Congress PCC viewed that Refugee Status for Christian is solution to issues of Pakistani Christian that they may migrate to democratic counties in Europe and North America after atrocities against them in Pakistan but a section of Pakistani Church based orgnizations opposed PCC petition in United Nation.

A Cathoic Priest who heads National Commission for Justice and Peace in Pakistan, issued a press release to International Christian media alleging Pakistan Christian Congress PCC and its Chief Dr. Nazir S Bhatti to conspiring against solidarity of Pakistan with filing petition in UN for Refugee Status for Pakistani Christians. The NCJP stated that Pakistani Christians not support PCC call for Separate Christian Province on division of Punjab nor petition of Refugee Status in UNO.

The Pakistani Adminstration have turned North Western Areas in a new province named Gilgit-Baltistan province and is heading to devide Punjab in Hazara province and Seraki provinces, then why not Separate Christian province?

When PCC demands Separate Christian province, it does not mean that a Separate homeland for Christians and division of Pakistan but a province where Muslims shall have right to stay as they are with their proerties and Christians to stay with their properties in other provinces of Pakistan.

The 20 million Pakistani Christians are living below poverty line comparing to Muslim dominated society facing hates on their religion after implementation of Islamic Sharia law in Pakistan and legislation turning them to be third class citizen in a land which was goverened by their ansecstors for centuries.

The Muslim agreesors migrated to Indian sub-continent from Middle East and Central Asia in 7th centurary while Christians belonged to this land as son of soil.

It is ironic that now Muslim immigrants are master in Pakistan and Christian sons of soil are living like slaves in their own land.

The Christian leaders in sub-continet of India favoured formation of Pakistan in Round Table Conferences in 1930-32 in London during British Raj and voted for Punjab to fall in lot of Pakistan with presentation before Boundary Commission but Muslims have scratched Christian role in Pakistan Movement.

There have been frequent incident of violnce against Christians in Pakistan where Muslim culprits are protected and never brought to justice.

Islamists in Pakistan can gunn down Christian in broad day light in court compunds, they abduct Christian women and convert them with force to Islam to marry them, they gang rape Christian women but not arrested, they torture and kill Christian house-maids who refuse to convert to Islam, they destroy hundreds of homes but never convicted, they burn alive Christians but Islamic courts set them free, they are free to spread hate against christians but no legislation to creat harmonious society and use of religion Islam to oppress millions of Christian citizens.

We affirm that some Churches in Pakistan have properties worth Billions of dollars in shape of Christian Missionary Schools, Colleges and Hospitals which are being run as bussiness concerns and benifiting Muslims only and establishment of Pakistan uses its clergy to speak against issues of common Christian on international forums but we assure them that demand of Separate Christian province or Refugee Status for Pakistani Christian will not harm their multi-million bussiness.

by Pakistan Christian Post

NLD drafts proposals to integrate minorities

NLD drafts proposals to integrate minorities

ISLAMABAD - Members of a the National Lobbying Delegation (NLD) have finalized suggestions for integration and streamlining of various ‘minority’ communities as voters, workers and candidates in the upcoming general elections and urged political parties to ensure proper representation of non-Muslim women in the parliament House o make joint electorate effective.

These suggestions are based on two formative researches titled ‘Non-Muslims in Pakistan’s Electoral System’ and ‘Views of Non-Muslim Community Leaders’, conducted by the Church World Service Pakistan/Afghanistan (CWS) in recent past. Some of the suggestions are aimed at clearing procedural hurdles in obtaining identity cards and the issue of misspelled names in voter lists. The other suggestions are related with social problems such as forcing non-Muslim voters to vote for a particular candidate or keeping non-Muslim voters away from polling stations by harassing, deceiving and humiliating them in polling queues.

In a meeting held here where NLD members unanimously agreed to call on all the political parties for putting an end to the party list system for nomination of candidates on seats reserved for ‘minorities’. The NLD resolved to get ‘minority’ candidates elected from the general seats and also demanded of all the political parties to award party tickets to ‘minority’ candidates from constituencies, which the respective parties are almost sure to win.

Members of the delegation (NLD) have also suggested that political parties should have non-Muslim office bearers and award them tickets for general seats. The ‘minority wings’ should be done away with. Political parties should take legislative measures to remove discriminatory laws and should come up with provisions to make joint electorate effective. At least three seats should be reserved for women of ‘minority’ communities for they are neither represented through seats reserved for women nor through those reserved for the ‘minorities’.

“Purpose of both the research studies was to establish the electoral significance of minorities and to solicit suggestions from various community leaders based on their electoral experiences,” Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, Senior Programme Officer at CWS said, adding, that these leaders were also members of five different ‘minority’ communities; Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Scheduled Caste and Bahai. “During this process we had interviewed more than 80 community leaders which would serve as the primary data for our research findings and suggestions”, Haq said adding that these studies had also offered an appreciation of benefits, solutions and suggestions along with reasons for various problems hampering participation of religious ‘minorities’ in the electoral processes.

He said that only political parties could lead to further strengthening this campaign and provide with a constitution to make the state responsible for the duties that accrue onto it.

“Of course, it is their (political parties) job to work for the evolution of constitutional norms, amend the constitution in order to provide securities, guarantees and safeguards to them as equal citizens, and to create an encouraging environment for their participation in the business of the state,” he said while giving a tentative timeline for meeting with the leaders of major political parties which include; Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Nawaz), Mutthida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid), Jamiat-i- Ulema-i-Islam (Fazal) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The members of NLD include George Clement, a seasoned former parliamentarian, Chairman Scheduled Caste Rights Movement Ramesh Jaipal, head of an NGO in Faisalabad, Christina Peter, PhD student at the Punjab University Kalyan Singh Kalyan, experienced development worker Romana Bashir, Head of Programs at Christian Study Centre, senior programme manager at Pakistan Centre for Philanthropy Dr. Jennifer Euler-Bennett, prominent social activist Naseer Gill, Jagdeesh R. Molani a lawyer based in Hyderabad, Hyderabad Coordinator for Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Dr. Ashothama Lohano, M. Parkash a lawyer absed in Hyderabad, Abid Chand a political worker/leader based in Multan, Tariq Javed Tariq a social worker and a lawyer based in Lahore and Atif who heads Harmony Foundation and is based in Faisalabad.

It is worth mentioning here that the NLD was formed to improve the participation of voters in electoral politics. The other purpose of NLD was to share problems with and put forward suggestions to all political parties over the course of next few weeks.

http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/islamabad/07-Sep-2012/nld-drafts-proposals-to-integrate-minorities

Parliamentary representation: New bill on the cards for increased minority seats

Parliamentary representation: New bill on the cards for increased minority seats

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to introduce a new bill to increase the number of seats for minorities in parliament, in proportion to their population.
The move is expected to enhance representation for minorities in the National Assembly, Senate and provincial assemblies.
If the government succeeds in getting the proposed bill passed in the shape of the 23rd Constitutional Amendment with a two-thirds majority, minorities’ seats would increase from 33 to around 53 in the National and provincial assemblies. The same exercise would also be followed in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.
State Minister for National Harmony Akram Masih Gill said there was a strong likelihood that the bill would be passed in the National Assembly and Senate in the session starting from next week.
“We are hopeful about it. Members of minority community should keep their fingers crossed,” Gill told The Express Tribune.
Gill and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Minorities Affairs Dr Paul Bhatti have already given their input to the government for the proposed bill.
Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has assigned Pakistan Peoples Party chief whip in the National Assembly, Syed Khurshid Shah, the task of convincing political parties to get the bill passed with a two-thirds majority in the upcoming sessions.
Non-Muslims represent 4.5 % of the country’s total population of 180 million, according to working papers of both minority leaders. Therefore, the total number of minorities’ seats will increase from 33 to around 53, out of which 16 seats will be added in the NA, 12 in the Punjab Assembly, 13 in the Sindh Assembly and six each in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan assemblies.
Currently, there are 10 minority seats in the NA, nine in the Sindh Assembly, eight in the Punjab Assembly, and three each in K-P Assembly and Balochistan Assembly.
The federal cabinet had already passed this bill in July this year.
Although the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz sees the move as a positive step, it has some reservations given that the government did not consult them before endorsing the newly proposed bill in the federal cabinet.
“Yes, it’s a good move,” said PML-N Senator Syed Zafar Ali Shah. The PML-N is likely to not oppose the bill but its top leadership will prepare a note/output to make the process more democratic, he said.
Regarding legal complications, Shah said if this newly proposed bill is passed with a two-thirds majority, some rules would be observed as two Constitutional Amendments – the 21^st Amendment (creation of new provinces) and 22nd Amendment (dual nationality) – are still pending with parliament.
Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid senior leader SM Zafar sees the move as a victory for minorities, who, according to him, are the “true face of Pakistan.”
Senior politicians recalled that parliament saw an increase in minorities’ seats during General Ziaul Haq’s regime, before which only two seats were fixed for minorities. Zia increased reserved seats for minorities from two to 10.
Minorities, for the first time, were given representation in the Senate this year.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31^st, 2012.

Phir bhee Hum Mujrim - Javed Chaudhry