Το πακιστανικό δημοσίευμα, στην αγγλική, που αναφέρεται στο δικαίωμα των Καλάς, να απογραφούν ως ξεχωριστή κοινότητα βάσει της θρησκευτικής ιδιαιτερότητάς τους
Απρίλιος 5, 2017. 15:00
Πολλοί αναγνώστες διετύπωσαν ερωτήσεις εάν πράγματι δίνεται
η δυνατότητα στους απογόνους των στρατιωτών του Μεγάλου Αλεξάνδρου να απογραφούν
ως ξεχωριστή κοινότητα, βάσει της θρησκευτικής ιδιαιτερότητάς της, που ανάγεται στους χρόνους της αρχέγονης
ελληνικής θρησκείας, σχετικά με το κείμενο που δημοσιεύσαμε.
Σχετικό κείμενο αντλούμε
από την ιστοσελίδα του Πακιστάν «Down.com» στην αγγλική γλώσσα, που αναφέρεται
στο δικαίωμα «βάσει του άρθρου 25 του Συντάγματος, κάθε πολίτης πρέπει να
αντιμετωπίζεται ισότιμα».
Ακολουθεί το πακιστανικό άρθρο στην αγγλική:
PESHAWAR.
A Peshawar High Court bench on Tuesday
directed the chief census commissioner to include the famous Kalasha religion
in the form for the imminent second phase of population census in Chitral
district.
Chief Justice
Yahya Afridi and Justice Ikramullah Khan disposed of a petition jointly filed
by four Kalash community members, including Shah Hussain and others, asking the
respondents including the chief census commissioner to specifically mention the
religion of the petitioners in the census form to the extent of Chitral
district only for their census.
Respondents in
the petition were the federal government through the interior secretary; chief
statistician and chief census commissioner, and provincial census commissioner.
Amir Sabir,
lawyer for the petitioners, said his clients were the citizens of Pakistan,
lived in Kalash valleys in Chitral district and followed Kalasha religion.
He said the
religions of Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Qadiani (Ahmadis), and members of
scheduled caste and other religious minorities were mentioned in the census
form but ironically, the form didn’t carry the name of Kalasha religion.
The lawyer said
the government had admitted Kalasha as a religion through a letter issued by
the then ministry of minority affairs on April 22, 2009.
He added that
on the basis of the said letter, Kalasha religion was included by the National
Database and Registration Authority in the computerised national identity card
forms.
The lawyer said
the high court had already ordered the inclusion of Sikhism in the census form.
He said the
petitioners had learned that their religion’s name was missing in the census
form as Chitral district, where Kalasha people lived, was to be covered in the
second phase of population census.
Mr Sabir also
said Kalasha was recognised across the world as a religion.
He said under
Article 25 of the Constitution, every citizen had to be treated equally.
The lawyer said
the census took place after a delay of many years as the last such exercise was
conducted in 1998 and that the data to be obtained during the current census
would be used for distribution of government facilities and resources to
provinces.
He said the
petitioners belonged to a very backward area and were entitled to be dealt with
in accordance with the law and to be given equal protection as enjoyed by other
religions.
The bench observed
that Kalasha had already been recognised as a separate religion by the
government of Pakistan as was evident in the Apr 22, 2009, official letter.
Deputy attorney
general Manzoor Khan Khalil appeared for the federal government, whereas the
deputy census commissioner, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, Akhtar Ali Khan,
also turned up before the bench.
Members of
Kalash community living in three remote valleys of Chitral district, including
Bamburet, Rambore and Birir, are known for unique culture and traditions.
The second
phase of census will begin on April 25 in different areas of the country,
including Chitral.
Published in
Dawn, April 5th, 2017
--
Επιτρέπεται η αναδημοσίευση μόνον με αναφορά της ενεργής ηλεκτρονικής διεύθυνσης του ιστολογίου παραγωγής- http://www.echedoros-a.gr