Pakistan: PML-N govt ignored minorities, while deciding Taliban talks, says activist

A representative of the minority Christian community has expressed reservation on the ongoing ‘peace talks’ process initiated by the government. Human Rights activist Khalid Shahzad, in a press statement, said the government had completely ignored the minorities and women while nominating the committee for negotiations with the banned terrorist outfit, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. “Minorities, particularly Shias and Christians, and representatives of women rights groups should have been included in the talks process as we believe that they are major stakeholders in the issue. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz government first ignored us in the all parties conference as no representative of the minority communities or women were invited to the moot and now again it has deliberately kept us out of the consultation process,” he said. Shahzad said that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif speaks of equal rights for women and minorities during his foreign visits but his actions at home contradict his claims. “Nawaz Sharif must involve all stakeholders in the talks process to make it into a truly representative forum,” he said.

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