Sargodha, Pakistan (PCP) June 22th: About 700 Christian sanitary workers, led by Farrukh Tanvir Chaudhary head of “All Pakistan Minorities Alliance’s” (APMA’s) youth wing, assembled in front of Tehsil (an administrative division in Pakistan) Municipal Administration’s (TMA’s) office in a bid to show their annoyance and protest against their two months defaulted salaries. Angry mob of demonstrators was shouting slogans against the TMA officials and immediate payment of their blocked salaries, PCP witnessed at Sargodha Pakistan, on June 6th. Addressing to the aggrouped Sanitary Workers, among the loud vehement yelling of slogans saying “Intzamia sharam karo” (Shame on administration) and “Zaalimoo jawab doo” (We demand accountability of oppressors), Christian Youth Leader Farrukh Tanvir Chaudhary said Christians are equal citizens of Pakistan. Fiery Farrukh Tanvir said in his speech that blockage or late payment of meager salaries of Christian sanitary workers make their lives deplorable. He said this reprehensible act of nonpayment of very small salaries of Christian Sanitary Workers induces financial crunch in their family lives, making it harder to meet their every day needs. Christian Youth Leader added that currently every Pakistani is suffering from depreciation in Pakistani Rupee, food especially wheat crisis, high unemployment rate, electric power crisis and surge in the prices of basic commodities like petrol, nutritional stuff, domestic fuel and school fees of children. Concerned Chaudhary said that in such pathetic condition blocking little salaries, which are already insufficient to fulfill their necessities, is a grave oppression and extreme heartlessness. PCP witnessed that in the meantime Christian protesters staged a sit in, before the main entrance of Tehsil Municipal Administrations Building and blocked all kinds of traffic at Katchery Bazaar Road for One (01) hour and urged to continue their strike until the payment of their salaries. A Pakistani rights and advocacy non-governmental organization ‘Rays of Development Organization’ (ROD) has recently circulated a report about Pakistani Sanitary Workers and their pathetic family life style, showing that most of the lowly paid (Pak Rs 3800.oo = US $ 58.46) sanitary workers are Christians in Pakistan. The report revealed that dirty job of Sanitation has become a stigma for Pakistani Christians, making their lives miserable. It showed that Christians are hated and discriminated due to their profession as sanitary worker and almost all the Muslims consider Christians untouchable and refrain from eating or drinking with them or in the utensils which are used by Christians. The report also includes that often Muslims annoy Christians by scoffing with bywords like “Choohra” (A word of Punjabi language, used to irritate Pakistani Christians) in every day life in predominantly Muslim, Islamic Democratic Republic of Pakistan. Mr. Farrukh Tanvir Chaudhary, head of APMA’s Youth Wing Sargodha Zone was accompanied by Sheikh Hafeez Khilan a renowned human rights campaigner and President of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Sargodha District. Replying to question Christian Youth Leader Mr. Farrukh Tanvir told PCP that several renowned Christian politicians such as Mr. SP Singha, Joshua Fazaldin and Chaudhary Chandu Laal were among the pioneers of Pakistan’s freedom movement and they laid down their lives for Pakistan. He further added that without the decisive vote of Christian Pioneers of Freedom, Pakistan couldn’t have come into being. He said that Christians are equivalent citizens of Pakistan and like Muslim Sanitary Workers their salaries must also be paid to them on time. Chaudhary quoted the speech of Qaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah the father of nation, as saying in his address to the First Constitutional Assembly of Pakistan, “All Pakistani nationals irrespective of their faith, sect, color, caste or dialect are free to follow their customs and worship according to their religious beliefs”. Farrukh Tanvir Chaudhary who is a staunch defender of minority rights said that we crave for, the kind of Pakistan, which was dreamed by Father of the Nation. He called for obliteration of all discriminatory laws especially the controversial black blasphemy laws of the country. Christian demonstrators also demanded that the entire sanitary workers who are working on daily wages contract should be regularized. They underscored that like Muslim Sanitary Workers who get paid vocations and gifts on Islamic Festivals, they too must be given paid leave and gifts on the occasion of Christian festivals of Christmas and Easter. Christian protesters also condemned the monthly cut of Pakistani Rupees 500 from salaries of daily wager Sanitary Workers. Massive assembly of Christian sanitary workers and their slogans against the TMA Officials forced, Mr. Kamran Jehangir, Tehsil Municipal Officer and Malik Shoaib Awan, Tehsil Nazim (Head of the Local Governments at Tehsil level), out of their air-conditioned offices. The influential protest and presence of local, national and international media built immense pressure on both the high profile officers and swayed their attention. They pledged to pay First month’s salary immediately and promised to pay the Second month’s salary on June 19th. Tehsil Nazim Malik Shoaib Awan asserted to discuss other demands of the Christian Sanitary Workers in the upcoming meeting of Tehsil Municipal Corporation officials and pledged to fulfill their demands.. After the assurance of the payment of their salaries, Christian Sanitary Workers dissipated peacefully after the demonstration.