Pakistan: Surendar Valasai for a truly representative National Council for Minority Rights instead of a rendezvous of millionaires

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Surendar Valasai, Advisor on Minority Affairs to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Patron-In-Chief, Pakistan Peoples Party has asked the Federal government to keep in mind the diversity and ratio of population of the minorities in Pakistan before announcing National Council for Minority Rights.

“It is a step in right direction and minorities are grateful to outgoing Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani for the verdict, but Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PML-N government should not establish a rendezvous of billionaires and millionaires instead the Council should portray as truly representative of all minorities including Christians, Hindus, Dalits, Sikhs etc as per their strength,” Surendar Valasai stated in a statement released here.

He said terms of references of the Council should be discussed thoroughly with the Leader of Opposition Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah and other Parliamentary leaders and the Council should not be a toothless tool and a mere formality. “Council must have clear powers to protect the rights of the downtrodden masses of minorities in real sense and punish those who deliberately victimize the minorities hiding behind fake and fictitious pretexts or personal enmities,” he added.

Surendar Valasai said country needs such an institution urgently to take up the growing issues of victimization of minority communities and desecration of their places of worship all over the country. “From misusing laws to settle personal scores against the individuals of the minority communities to turning their places of worship into grazing grounds, the Council should have the scope to cover and offer remedy for every issue.”

He appreciated the efforts and actions of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for the protection of rights of minorities and his directives to the Sindh government for establishment of Police Task Force to guard temples, churches and gurdawaras in Sindh besides implementation of 5% job quota in letter and spirit.