Pakistan observes National Minorities Day 2024 on "Jinnah's 11 August Speech on Religious Freedom"

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 11 : Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) observed National Minorities Day on Sunday, and raised voices through a protest rally, on the theme of religious freedom.
The HRFP observed National Minorities Day at the Vision Hall, Faisalabad in Pakistan.
The event focused on the topic of the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah's speech on August 11, 1947, about religious freedom, particularly emphasizing Jinnah's often-quoted part of the speech: "You are free; you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in this state of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion caste or creed - that has nothing to do with the business of the state".
The speakers passionately discussed and raised this powerful theme at the event, the HRFP said in a press release.
The attendees from different fields included political workers from various parties, civil society organizations, human rights defenders, lawyers, teachers, youth, women, and other stakeholders.
They discussed Jinnah's ideology, focusing on his struggle and historic speech from August 11.
Naveed Walter, president of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), emphasized that Jinnah's speech is one of the most extraordinary addresses on religious freedom, citizen's rights, and political mainstreaming.
However, he expressed disappointment that political parties tend to only use it for their campaigns, promises, and manifestos, without actually executing any of the intended actions, Walter said.
He further pointed out that the reserve seats make minority representatives more loyal to their parties than to the communities they are representing, the release stated.
The president of HRFP unequivocally stated that minorities are consistently being targeted for their religious beliefs.
He stressed that these incidents are on the rise due to the lack of resolution in previous cases that have been occurring for far too long.
Citing an example, Walter said, that in the past year, a horrifying incident occurred in Jaranwala where a violent mob set fire to and vandalized Churches and homes. Tragically, yet another incident took place in May 2024 where a mob allegedly committed violence against Nazir Masih and his family, leading to his untimely death.
Naveed Walter further highlighted the unforgettable tragic incidents in Gojra and Koriyaan in 2009 and lamented that a similar incident took place once again in the same city of Gojra where a Christian family and accused Saima and Sonia was attacked due to a false accusation of blasphemy on August 6.
Later, the accusers openly announced that they would kill the family if they returned to village, Naveed Walter added.
Moreover, he emphasised that the government must prioritise the protection of minorities, adding that it is unfortunate that the authorities seem to be neglecting these crucial issues, thereby allowing perpetrators to go unpunished while unfairly punishing innocent individuals.
He highlighted the case of Jaranwala, where a Christian youth named Ehsan Shan was accused and sentenced to death, while the real perpetrators were released from prison without facing any consequences.
Naveed Walter stressed that it is crucial for the government to take decisive actions against the real culprits and facilitators of the blasphemy accusation against two innocent Christian sisters in Gojra.
He urged for justice to be brought to those who take the law into their own hands for personal vendettas, Naveed Walter added.
The president then urged the authorities to make such decisions on the occasion of National Minorities Day to prevent acts of violence arising from false accusations of blasphemy.
He called for measures to make minorities feel safe and secure in their own country instead of being ignored, stressing that minority status should never deprive anyone of their fundamental rights, the press release stated.
The speakers, including Ejaz Jacob Gill, James Lal, Manzoor Anthony, Ejaz Ghauri, Rashida Emmanuel, Bashira Bibi, Shadman John (HRFP), Hamdosh Samuel (HRFP) and others, emphasised that the 11th of August's speech of Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah should be actively promoted and implemented.
However, they noted that to this day, minorities in Pakistan continue to feel neglected, isolated, and unconcerned about most of the state matters.
Moreover, the panellists stressed the importance of addressing the challenges faced by religious minorities, protecting their fundamental rights, and uniting them to advocate for their rights and equality.
Later, a resolution was passed to incorporate Jinnah's 11th August speech into the constitution, which declared state matters as separate from religion.