QUETTA: Speakers at a workshop on Wednesday held policies of the past decades responsible for the growing radicalisation of society.

Organised by the Islamabad-based think tank, Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS), the two-day educational and training workshop was part of a nationwide programme aimed at promotion of interfaith harmony among the youths.

The speakers said that in the contemporary environment, members of minority religious groups found it hard to live in peace with equal rights and dignity. Even constitutional safeguards and other legal protections have done little to ensure equality of citizenship for all, they added.

Some 65,000 Rohingya Muslims have been living in Karachi for decades, workshop told

Social researcher and author of the book Radicalisation in Pakistan Safdar Hussain Sial said the discrimination against religious minorities is widespread and systematic and includes economic exclusion. He said the minorities often lack equal access to employment opportunities which is a key factor behind the immense economic disparity across different religious groups in Pakistan. In certain cases, members of minority communities are denied critical identity or citizenship documents which, among other things, cut them off from the job market, Mr Sial said.

He said the anti-minority sentiments were further aggravated by the weaponisation of certain laws such as those criminalising blasphemy or targeting a particular religious group. The blasphemy law had been misused against the non-Muslim and Muslim communities alike, leading to many incidents of mob violence, Mr Sial said, adding that in such a scenario the role of youths in creating a more tolerant and peaceful society was crucial.

Security analyst and Director of PIPS Mohammad Amir Rana revealed that around 65,000 Rohingya Muslims had been living in desperate conditions in Karachi for decades.

Stressing the significance of citizenship, Mr Rana said depriving an individual of citizenship was depriving him of fundamental rights and basic social services such as health and education. The Rohingya community continued to languish as stateless people in Pakistan, he added.

University students from across Balochistan participated in the workshop and exchanged thoughts around the theme of interfaith harmony. The participants were also given a quick training in effective use of social media tools by senior journalist and social media activist Sabookh Syed. The Pakistani youths could use the power of social media to support peace and harmony and oppose discrimination against minorities, he said.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2021