The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance is a group that opposes violence and
discrimination against religious minorities in Pakistan.
Shahbaz Bhatti
Clement Shahbaz Bhatti (9 September 19682 March 2011), popularly known as Shahbaz Bhatti, was a Pakistani politician who was elected as a member of the National Assembly from 2008. He was the first Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs from N ...
, an outspoken critic of
Pakistan's blasphemy laws founded the group, to advocate for government protection of Christians, as well as other minority groups like Hindus, Sufis and Ahmadis.
Paul Bhatti
Dr. Paul Jacob Bhatti is a Pakistani politician and well-known surgeon. He is the former federal minister in charge of National Harmony and Minorities Affairs.
He served as a minister in the government of President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zarda ...
is the current leader.
[
Shahbaz Bhatti was appointed as Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs on 2 November 2008, when, for the first time, the post was elevated to cabinet level and an independent ministry created. At the time, he said that he accepted the post for the sake of the "oppressed, down-trodden and marginalized" of Pakistan, and that he had dedicated his life to the "struggle for human equality, social justice, religious freedom, and to uplift and empower religious minorities' communities." He added that he wanted to send "a message of hope to the people living a life of disappointment, disillusionment and despair", and also stated his commitment to reforming the country's ]blasphemy laws
A blasphemy law is a law prohibiting blasphemy, which is the act of insulting or showing contempt or lack of reverence to a deity, or sacred objects, or toward something considered sacred or inviolable. According to Pew Research Center, about ...
.[Asia News, ''Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic, is the new minister for the defense of minorities'', 4 November 2008](_blank)
/ref>
During his time as federal minister, he took numerous steps in support of religious minorities. These included the launch of a national campaign to promote interfaith harmony, the proposal of legislation to ban hate speech and related literature, the proposed introduction of comparative religion as a curriculum subject, the introduction of quotas for religious minorities in government posts and the reservation of four Senate
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
seats for minorities.[Dawn.com: Profile: Shahbaz Bhatti](_blank)
/ref> Bhatti also spearheaded the organisation of a National Interfaith Consultation in July 2010, which brought together senior religious leaders of all faiths from across Pakistan and resulted in a joint declaration against terrorism.[The Express Tribune, ''Interfaith conference issues declaration against terror'', July 2010](_blank)
/ref>
See also
*Pakistan Interfaith League The Pakistan Interfaith League is an interfaith organization in Pakistan.
Its chairman, Sajid Ishaq, is a member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, a centrist, progressive political party in Pakistan.
Protection of minority rights
In April 2016, at ...
*Religious discrimination in Pakistan
Religious discrimination in Pakistan is a serious issue for the human rights situation in modern-day Pakistan. Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Shias, and Ahmadis among other religious minorities often face discrimination and at times are even subjected ...
*Sectarianism in Pakistan
Sectarian violence in Pakistan refers to attacks and counter-attacks against people and places in Pakistan motivated by antagonism toward the target's sect, usually a religious extremist group. Targets in Pakistan include the Shia, Barelvis, S ...
References
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Religion in Pakistan