Hundreds of people from various backgrounds gathered at Karachi’s Frere Hall on National Minority Day to raise awareness about the challenges faced by minorities in Pakistan and call for their rights to be respected by the government.
The march was attended by politicians, lawyers, and human rights activists, including Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior, son of the late PPP leader Murtaza Bhutto. Participants of the march, dressed in traditional saaris and colorful turbans, voiced their frustrations with the biased system and expressed their unity through slogans and Hindu garba dances. As part of the event, Tehrik-e-Niswan, a cultural action group, performed a drama highlighting the struggles of minority communities in Pakistan.
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior emphasized the importance of unity and acknowledged the significant contributions of religious minorities throughout Pakistan’s history. He stated, “We are all one people, and I refuse to let us be divided.”
One of the event organizers, Zoha Alvi, raised concerns about the discrimination faced by minority women based on their religion and gender, making them more vulnerable to injustice and violence. Alvi highlighted the need for representation of these women in local, provincial, and national assemblies, allowing them to advocate for their rights.
Echoing Alvi’s stance, Safina Javed called for reserved seats for non-Muslims in law enforcement agencies to ensure fair implementation of pro-minority laws. Javed argued that although Sindh has several laws in place to protect minorities, enforcement is hindered by biased officers. She suggested that having minority representation in these departments would lead to better implementation of the laws.
Representing the Sikh community, Ramesh Singh, Patron-In-Chief of the Pakistan Sikh Council, pointed out the lack of representation for Sikhs and Parsis in elected bodies, resulting in unheard issues affecting these communities.
The march also shed light on forced conversions and blasphemy laws, with participants displaying banners featuring pictures of their loved ones who were either imprisoned or missing. Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Junior condemned forced conversions as a form of human trafficking, emphasizing the importance of freedom of religion as stated in the Holy Quran. Safina Javed called on the government to address the misuse of blasphemy laws urgently, emphasizing that the public should not take the law into their own hands.
Although Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab attended the march, he chose not to address the participants, leaving after a brief appearance.
Overall, the Minority Rights March gave a platform to activists and individuals from minority groups to voice their concerns and call for greater political representation and protection of their rights in Pakistan.