KARACHI: Former Federal Minister for Human Rights, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Senator (retd) Iqbal Haider has condemned action against the Sikh community in Lahore.
A section of the press reported on July 17 that the Sikh community in Lahore was prevented on July 13 and 16 from performing their religious celebrations in their Gurdwara in Lahore on the flimsy pretext and demand of the followers of the Dawat-e-Islami that such celebrations cannot be performed by them before the holy day of Shab-e-Barat, which was observed much later on the night between July 17 and 18.
“It is most shocking and deplorable that officers of the Evacuee Trust Property Board of the federal government as well as the Lahore police prevented the Sikh community from conducting their religious ceremonies even on July 13 or 16 or before, merely because some extremist militant followers of the Dawat-e-Islami had made this demand,” he said.
Senator Haider emphasised it was the constitutional and moral obligation of both federal and provincial administrations, and the police to provide due protection to all non-Muslims to enable them to perform their rituals, instead of preventing the Sikh or any other community of non-Muslims from performing their religious ceremonies on any pretext whatsoever.
The senator earnestly appealed to all religious parties and Muslim scholars to condemn such acts of extremists, which were causing incalculable harm to the image of both Islam and Pakistan.
He called upon federal and provincial governments to discharge their obligations under the constitution and International Charter of Human Rights, to protect the rights and freedom of followers of all faiths, as well as their respective places of worship to enable them to perform their religious rites freely and without any fear.
“In all fairness the police as well as followers of Dawat-e-Islami must assure the Sikh community and followers of all other faiths that they are free to go to their places of worship and perform their religious ceremonies as was guaranteed by Quaid-e-Azam and also in the Constitution.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=58438&Cat=2&dt=7/19/2011
A section of the press reported on July 17 that the Sikh community in Lahore was prevented on July 13 and 16 from performing their religious celebrations in their Gurdwara in Lahore on the flimsy pretext and demand of the followers of the Dawat-e-Islami that such celebrations cannot be performed by them before the holy day of Shab-e-Barat, which was observed much later on the night between July 17 and 18.
“It is most shocking and deplorable that officers of the Evacuee Trust Property Board of the federal government as well as the Lahore police prevented the Sikh community from conducting their religious ceremonies even on July 13 or 16 or before, merely because some extremist militant followers of the Dawat-e-Islami had made this demand,” he said.
Senator Haider emphasised it was the constitutional and moral obligation of both federal and provincial administrations, and the police to provide due protection to all non-Muslims to enable them to perform their rituals, instead of preventing the Sikh or any other community of non-Muslims from performing their religious ceremonies on any pretext whatsoever.
The senator earnestly appealed to all religious parties and Muslim scholars to condemn such acts of extremists, which were causing incalculable harm to the image of both Islam and Pakistan.
He called upon federal and provincial governments to discharge their obligations under the constitution and International Charter of Human Rights, to protect the rights and freedom of followers of all faiths, as well as their respective places of worship to enable them to perform their religious rites freely and without any fear.
“In all fairness the police as well as followers of Dawat-e-Islami must assure the Sikh community and followers of all other faiths that they are free to go to their places of worship and perform their religious ceremonies as was guaranteed by Quaid-e-Azam and also in the Constitution.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=58438&Cat=2&dt=7/19/2011
