Lahore: August 14, 2012. (PCP) Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) in collaboration with Global Human Rights Defense (GHRD) organized a Demonstration on August 11(National Minority Day) at Press Club, Lahore. The CLAAS (Center for Legal Aid Assistance & Settlement), Pakistan Christian National Party and other likeminded groups/individuals participated and showed their solidarity. The minority leaders addressed to a Press Conference & Protest was staged in front of Press Club, Lahore. 1. Press Conference: Mr.Naveed Walter, President Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) commences the Press Conference and said the Minorities of Pakistan are observing the “National Minority Day” as “Black Day” because the fundamental rights of minorities are violated and humiliated in this country and now it has cross all the limits. He highlighted the historical role of minorities in the Movement of Pakistan, Formation of Pakistan and Development of Pakistan. He said, minorities have played this role to gain equal rights in Pakistan, but the past and present situation of religious minorities is very disappointing. He said, HRFP with all minority communities envisioned violence free society for all minorities in the coming future. Mr. Naveed Walter also said, on National Minority Day the Government has celebrated this day in Government Institutions and has portrayed untrue picture of religious minorities in front of International community, but in reality the actual problems and issues have been hindered behind this celebration. Mr. Naveed Walter also highlighted the issues of Hindus particularly abductions, forced conversions and force marriages. In the end, Mr. Walter appealed to the Government that the time has come, when minorities of Pakistan should be given equal rights and equal opportunities in all spheres of life, otherwise the future of religious minorities in Pakistan is very uncertain. Mr. Joseph Francis (National Director for CLAAS and Chairman of Pakistan Christian National Party) also expressed his views on the Observation of National Minority Day. He said, National Minority Day is not a day for celebration by the minorities of Pakistan, but this day reminds of all miseries, violations, attacks, blasphemy allegations, assassinations, discriminations and persecutions which minorities are facing for last so many years in various forms. He awfully said, unfortunately the Pakistan of today is contrary to the Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam (Founder of Pakistan). He said Quaid-e-Azam dreamed of the state where every citizen regardless of his belief will be treated equally in all dimensions of life. He said, we questioned the Government that “Does Quaid-e-Azam and Minorities dreamed a Pakistan where Churches, Temples and Gurdwara (Sikh Worship Place) are brutally burnt & attacked, where minorities leaders are assassinated, where Christians and Hindus are forcibly converted to Islam and then forcibly married according to Islamic faith, where allegation of 295B/C are fictitiously charged on Minorities on regular basis, where thousands of Hindus Migrated every years due to unsafe and risky conditions. He said all minorities are ashamed of such Pakistan. Hindu Activist Mr. Amaranth Randhawa (General Secretary Hindu Organization Sudhar Sabah) shared that celebrating of National Minority Day in President House seems like a big joke with the sentiments of minorities. He raised the issues of Forced Conversion, Forced Marriages and Abductions which the Hindu Community is facing in Sindh and Baluchistan. Hindu Youth Leader Ms. Kamlesh Devi highlighted, that from Hindu Community never a female is given an opportunity to sit in the Provincial and Federal Assembly. She raised the question in front of media, that why only young Hindu girls are converted, why the males of Hindu Community are not converted. She alleged that Government has never investigate this bitter fact that why just young Hindu girls accept Islam and then marriage according to Islamic faith. It is because the young Hindu girls are soft targets and are converted according to a special strategy, they said. Bishop Akram Masih also shares his viewpoint on National Minority Day. He raised the issue of Nurses poisoned in Karachi recently. Representatives of Print and Electronic media were asked different questions from the speakers of the Press Conference. The answers given by the speakers were very logical and were truly representing the voice of minorities. 2. Demonstration: After the Press Conference, HRFP and GHRD staged a Demonstration outside the Press Club, Lahore. More than 200 participants were present in the protest. The purpose of demonstration was to highlight the National Minority Day as a Black Day and all forms of violations and discriminations which minorities are facing. Activists and Professionals from different walks of life participated in it. In the demonstration, Hindu Leader Mr. Ratan Lal highlighted the recent incident where 250 and in many other cases hundreds Hindu has been migrated to India. He shared the reasons of their migration from Pakistan. Along with this, Christian activist Mr. Shahbaz Prince and Ms. Larisa, speeches on the issues of minorities demanding the provision of all fundamental rights to the minorities as given to the Muslims living in Pakistan. The protestors of the rally demanded to ensure equal citizenship rights to minorities & also end the discriminatory laws & practices against them. The participants of rally show their enthusiasm and zeal through raising slogans. They were holding protesting posters, brochures and banners that were giving the message of “Ending Violence and other concern issues against minorities”. The media representative took coverage of the demonstration. The following are the recommendations that HRFP purposed to the Government: 1. Steps should be taken to solve all the problems that minorities are facing throughout the country and according to the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights all violations against minorities should be stopped immediately. 2. All discriminatory laws against religious minorities especially (295 A/B/C) should be repealed and also the fictitious use of (295A/B/C) should be stopped. Also the victims upon whom allegations are not yet proofed should be released. 3. In all parts of the country, Government writ and provision of justice & protection should be ensured to the minorities particularly the forcible conversions and Islamic marriage of young minorities’ girls and women should be stopped. 4. The articles 2, 2-A, 2-B &41 of the Constitution of Pakistan must be abolish and if the discriminatory articles will not be repealed then we will protest against the Constitution till the amendments. 5. To provide equal citizenship rights to minorities such practical steps and mechanism should be ensured that will provide easy access to Justice, Restoration and Protection to the minorities. 6. We gravely demand to Government of Pakistan to make public the investigation reports of inhuman massacres, attacks on places of worships, incidents of intimidation & threats, brutal torture and inhuman killing including Sangla Hill 2005, Shanti Nagar 1997, Bahawalpur Church attack 2001, Korian & Gojra carnage 2009 and Bahminya Walla 2009 accrued against the minorities of Pakistan and the perpetrators violating the name of religion must brought before the justice. 7. In the political process according to the democratic values the Government should give representation to minorities in provincial and national assembly according to their actual population. 8. In the text books of academic syllabus all negative chapters and references against the minorities should be eliminated that are creating the negative impressions in the minds of new generation against the minorities.