MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on religious freedom in Pakistan
18.5.2010
pursuant to Rule 122 of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Peter van Dalen, Michał Tomasz Kamiński, Adam Bielan, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Jacek Olgierd Kurski on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B7-0271/2010
B7‑0273/2010
European Parliament resolution on religious freedom in Pakistan
The European Parliament,
- having regard to its previous resolutions on Pakistan, in particular that of 15 November 2007,
- having regard to the Council conclusions adopted on 16 November 2009 on freedom of religion or belief in which it underlines the strategic importance of this freedom and of countering religious intolerance,
- having regard to the EU-Pakistan Joint Statement of 17 June 2009, in which both sides underlined the importance of an integrated long-term strategy including social economic development and the rule of law; as well as acknowledging the significance of non-military means in countering terrorism,
- having regard to Article 18 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR),
- having regard to the 1981 UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination based on Religion and Belief,
- having regard to Rule 122(5) of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas article 3 (5) of the Treaty on European Union states that the promotion of democracy and respect for human rights and civil liberties are fundamental principles and aims of the European Union and constitute common ground for its relations with third countries,
B. whereas the majority and state religion of Pakistan is Islam and minority religious groups consist of Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Ahmadis, Buddhists, Parsis, Baha’is, and others,
C. whereas Pakistan is one of the key countries in the fight against terrorism and the spread of violent extremism.
D. whereas equal rights for minorities feature in the vision of the founding father of Pakistan, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, as expressed in his speech to the Constituent Assembly in 1947: “You may belong to any religion, caste or creed – that has nothing to do with the business of the State… We are starting with this fundamental principle, that we are all citizens and citizens of one state.”,
E. whereas the Fundamental Rights chapter of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan guarantees ‘freedom to profess religion and manage religious institutions’ (article 20) and the equality of all citizens (article 25),
F. whereas the government of Pakistan appointed a spokesman for minorities and Member of the Pakistan Parliament Shahbaz Bhatti, as Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs in November 2008, while also elevating this position to cabinet level for the first time,
G. whereas, in the period since November 2008 the government of Pakistan has created a quota of five per cent for minorities in the federal jobs sector, recognized non-Muslim public holidays declared 11 August to be National Minorities Day and committed to providing Senate seats for minority representatives,
H. whereas, on 25 December 2009, President Asif Ali Zardari reiterated the pledge of the Pakistan People’s Party to uphold the rights of all minorities to be treated as equal citizens,
I. whereas there is a tension between the government of Pakistan’s commitment to freedom of religion and its leading role in endorsing the “Combating Defamation of Religion” agenda at the United Nations,
J. whereas the legal provisions known as the ‘blasphemy laws’, contained within section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code, are misused by extremist groups and those wishing to settle personal scores,
K. whereas the vast majority of people accused under the blasphemy laws are Muslim but accusations against individuals from minority faiths can trigger disproportionate violence against their community as a whole; whereas it was blasphemy accusations that triggered mob violence in Gojra and Korian in summer 2009, leaving seven dead and at least one hundred houses destroyed,
L. whereas blasphemy prisoners face discrimination and religiously-motivated assault and many of those who are acquitted spend the remainder of their lives in hiding,
M. whereas lawyers and human rights activists in Pakistan experience frequent death threats and harassment, and lawyers who defend blasphemy cases are especially vulnerable to such risks,
N. whereas Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan suffer frequent discrimination and persecution underpinned by the anti-Ahmadiyya provisions in section 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code; a recent example being the murder of a retired Ahmadi professor by masked gunmen on 5 January 2010,
O. whereas the government of Pakistan has signed but not ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 1984 UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
1. Welcomes the measures taken in the interest of religious minorities by the government of Pakistan since November 2008 ([such as establishing a quota of five per cent for minorities in the federal jobs sector, recognizing non-Muslim public holidays, and declaring National Minorities Day);
2. Fully supports the efforts of the Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs in establishing a network of Local Interfaith Harmony Committees to promote dialogue and ease the religious tensions;
3. Welcomes the commitment made by the Prime Minister of Pakistan of granting of property rights to minority slum dwellers in Islamabad;
4. Supports the government of Pakistan’s commitment to provide minority seats in the Senate and insists that these guarantees be fulfilled;
5. Expresses its solidarity with the government of Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and the spread of violent extremism;
6. Expresses its deep concern that the blasphemy laws are dangerously vague and continue to be open to a misuse that affects people of all faiths in Pakistan, and that religious minorities are in practice unprotected by these laws, as was exemplified by the sentencing to 25 years in prison of Christian husband and wife, Ruqiya and Munir Masih, for supposedly touching the Koran with unwashed hands;
7. Calls upon the government of Pakistan to repeal the blasphemy laws and, in the meantime, to implement amendments as suggested by the Federal Minister for Minority Affairs;
8. Expresses its particular concern at the ongoing discrimination against and persecution of the Ahmadiyya community in Pakistan and calls upon the government of Pakistan to repeal Section 298 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which severely hinders the daily lives of this group, and to discourage state-sponsored, inflammatory events such as the ‘End of Prophethood’ Conferences in Lahore;
9. Is very concerned about the effective implementation by radical islamists of the 'Hasba Bill' in some of Pakistan's rural areas, especially in the North-West Frontier Province, overseeing the implementation of sharia law, and calls on the government of Pakistan to protect members of religious minorities and moderate versions of Islam;
10. Is particularly concerned about Pakistan’s leading role in the ‘Combating Defamation of Religion’ campaign at the UN, stressing the Council conclusions of 16 November 2009 that international human rights law protects individuals and groups of individuals and that, in this regard, defamation of religions is not a human rights concept; is furthermore concerned that the campaign will be used as a vehicle for obtaining possibilities to condemn members of religious minorities;
11. Calls on the government of Pakistan to ratify the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 1984 UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment;
12. Supports all initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue and mutual respect between communities; calls on political and religious authorities to promote tolerance and to take initiatives against hatred and violent extremism;
13. Encourages the Government of Pakistan to promote values of tolerance and equality in educational establishments and to take steps to close down madrassas that preach messages of religious intolerance or incite violence against other peoples and religions;
14. Calls upon the Council of the European Union to include the issue of religious tolerance in society in its counter-terrorism dialogue with Pakistan; this matter being of central importance to the long-term fight against religious extremism;
15. Calls upon the Member States and the European Commission to continue financial support of human rights organizations and defenders and outline practical measures to support the growing civil society movement in Pakistan against the blasphemy laws and other discriminatory legislation;
16. Recalls the Commission’s repeated statement, in response to written parliamentary questions, that it is closely following the government of Pakistan’s response to the anti-Christian violence in Gojra and Korian; calls on the Commission to request details of tangible progress made, particularly with regards to bringing the culprits to justice;
17. Calls upon the Council to support the government of Pakistan in the development of its Ministry for Human Rights, and in establishing a meaningful, independent and authoritative National Human Rights Commission;
18. Calls upon the representatives of the European Union present at the second EU-Pakistan summit to be held in Brussels on 21 April 2010, in particular Council President Mr van Rompuy and Commission President Mr Barroso, to bring this resolution to the attention of the summit;
19. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and the Government and Parliament of Pakistan.