Call to repeal Local Govt Ordinance

LAHORE
Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, the head of Catholic Church in Punjab, prominent religious, social and political leadership of minorities have demanded the immediate repeal of the Punjab Local Government (Amended) Ordinance 2015, as they said it was anti-minorities because it did not allow voters of minorities to elect their own representatives at the lowest tier of the democratic system.
Addressing a press conference at Lahore Press Club, chaired by Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw and accompanied by Rev Samuel Azraiah (Moderator Church of Pakistan), Bishop Irfan Jamil (Bishop of Lahore), Rev. Bishop Munawar Ramal Shah (Bishop Emeritus), Col Washington Daniel (Chief Secretary Salvation Army Pakistan), Rev. Shahid Miraj (Vicar General, Diocese of Lahore), Pandit Bhagat Lal Khokhar and Amarnath Randhawa (representatives of the Hindu community), Sardar Bishan Singh (representative of the Sikh community), Fr. Francis Gulzar (Vicar General, Arch Diocese of Lahore), Fr. Emmanuel Yousuf Mani (National Director NCJP), Rev. Majeed Abel (Incharge United Presbyterian), Rev. Father Nisar Barkat (Director Interfaith Harmony), Rev. Emanuel S. Khokhar (Vicar General Central Cathedral Diocese of Raiwind) and renowned human rights defender and minorities rights campaigner Mr. Samson Salamat, it was jointly announced that if the controversial ordinance was not repealed, the community would widen its protest all over the province and the country.
Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw said, "The ultimate goal of any democratic system is peoples empowerment, especially the uplift of the weaker communities of society, but unfortunately the Punjab Local Government (Amended) Ordinance 2015 promulgated by the Punjab government practically gives more power to the powerful and weakens the already weak marginalized communities of our society, especially the religious minorities who are already discriminated on the basis of religion in many ways”. He added, "Why this

kind of system is being introduced only in Punjab because in other province of our country the minorities have the right to elect their representatives directly and therefore the Punjab government needs to re-visit its policy towards the rights of religious minorities. Our community is highly disturbed and we consider the ordinance as discriminatory and political apartheid because according to this ordinance our voters will not be allowed to elect their representatives according to their own choice, and therefore, we strongly appeal to the Punjab Government to seriously review the ordinance and make necessary amendments to ensure the effective representation of religious minorities in the local government system”.
Pastor Shahid Miiraj appealed to all political parties, civil society and representatives of print and electronic media for their support against the injustice being done with the minority communities in Punjab through the Punjab Local Government Ordinance. Human rights defender Samson Salamat, Amarnath Randhawa of the Hindu community, Sardar Bishan Singh of the Sikh community, Rev. Pastor Majeed Abel of United Presbyterian Church, Colonel Washington Daniel of Salvation Army Church and human rights defender Samson Salamat also spoke.
Spanish team: A delegate from Spain visited the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore and called on Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha at the City Campus Lahore on Monday. Mr Jaume Mir, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Biochemiz SL Catalan, Spain, desired collaboration with the UVAS for research in the use of microbe or their enzyme for commercial application. The Vice-Chancellor briefed the delegate on the UVAS academic, research and training programmes. He said that the UVAS is willing to collaborate with biochemize for the promotion of education and research. UVAS faculty members Prof Dr Masood Rabbani and Prof Dr Irshad Hussain were also preset on the occasion.