Pakistan needs an empowered local government system to decrease extremism
Karachi – Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) leader Dr Farooq Sattar has said that Pakistan needed a true and participatory democracy, through an empowered local government system, to decrease growing intolerance and extremism in society.
He was speaking at a dialogue titled ‘Building Bridges: A Stakeholder Consultation on Tolerance and Inclusivity’, held here at a local hotel.
Lawmakers, politicians, academics, civil society members, religious leaders, journalists and government representatives took part in the consultation organized by the Islamabad-based think tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS).
Dr Sattar said they had failed to give people a sense of belonging and inclusiveness. “If democracy is not brought at the grassroots level, then people would continue to suffer,” he said while advocating for a vibrant local government system in the country. He underlined that Pakistan required “a true, genuine, and participatory democracy where common people have a say and contribution in policymaking”.
MQM-P MNA Dr Sattar said an empowered local government system could only be introduced through an amendment in the Constitution. “This is the way forward as an effective local bodies system will solve the problems of intolerance, non-inclusion and extremism in the society, besides bringing inclusiveness,” he said. He recalled that his party had already proposed a constitutional amendment bill to devolve political, administrative and financial responsibility and authority to the elected representatives of the local governments.
MQM-P ex-MPA Mangla Sharma said they should look into root causes of growing intolerance and shrinking space for dialogue in the society. She said the sense of insecurity among religious minorities was on the rise in the country, and the government should take steps to address their concerns.
Pakistan Hindu Council President Parshotam Ramani said the anti-blasphemy law was being misused against minorities by the majority to settle personal scores. He suggested that people belonging to different faiths should celebrate one another’s religious festivals to foster inclusivity and tolerance in society.
MQM-P MPA Farah Sohail called for bringing necessary changes in the syllabus to decrease intolerance and extremism in society. She highlighted the role of parents in teaching children about tolerance and inclusivity.
Shamim Mumtaz, former MPA of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and ex-provincial minister of Sindh for social welfare, urged the need to form vibrant ‘arbitration councils’ at the grassroots level to help decrease growing intolerance and extremism in society.
Allama Syed Aqeel Anjum, deputy secretary general of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUP), said the issue of persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan has been exaggerated. He claimed that a few cases, including forced conversions, are highlighted on social media, which has tarnished the image of society.
MQM-P MPA Shariq Jamal said the problem of intolerance and extremism could be solved by giving people their due rights and providing them with the necessities of life at their doorstep.
Human rights activist Dr Sorath Sindhu said the issue of forced conversions in Sindh also included underage marriages of girls, which needed to be addressed.
Agha Fakhur Hussain, director of the Human Rights Department of Sindh government, said: “It is a shared commitment to build a more inclusive Pakistan. We must ensure that our laws and mechanisms guarantee religious freedom”. He noted that their schools and seminaries should become a space for inclusion, not division.
Nazia Naz, research officer at the Human Rights Department, informed the participants that the Sindh government has formed a regular policy to address the issue of intolerance and extremism, and its implementation phase has started.
Scholar and academic Dr Syed Jaffar Ahmed in his concluding remarks said they should discuss commonalities and agree to some common grounds. “There is a need to change the syllabus as well as the mindset of teachers to address the problem of extremism and intolerance,” he added.