LAHORE, Pakistan (UCAN) --  The Catholic Church in Pakistan has urged the new federal government to end religious discrimination and establish equality of all citizens under the law through proposed constitutional amendments.

"In order to make the constitution more democratic, the multi-religious and multi-cultural aspect of Pakistani society should be recognized," the Pakistan Catholic bishops' National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) said June 1 in a press release. Archbishop Lawrence John Saldanha of Lahore, the commission's chairperson, and Peter Jacob, its executive secretary, signed the release.

The Church statement responded to a proposed constitutional reforms package the Pakistan People's Party-led federal coalition made public on May 24, almost two months after it was sworn in following a general election in February. The package is being discussed among coalition partners before being introduced in parliament.

The proposed amendments contain provisions that would ensure a parliamentary democracy, do away with some presidential powers and ensure at least a minimum representation of minority religious communities in the Senate -- one each from the four provinces and the federal capital. Around 95 percent of Pakistan's 160 million people are Muslims. Less than 2 percent are Christians.

The NCJP maintains in its press release, however, "It cannot be assumed that increasing the number of reserved seats in the parliament as proposed in the package announced will change the humiliating socioeconomic conditions of the religious minorities in Pakistan."

Minority leaders have long been demanding representation in the Senate. All 100 current members of the upper house of the parliament are Muslims. Religious minorities do have representation in various provincial assemblies, as well as in the lower house of parliament.

"In the wake of the constitutional (amendment) package, NCJP would like to point out the existence of religious biases and discriminatory sections in the present constitution which need amendments to make it a useful document to build peace and interreligious harmony," the press release said.

"Besides making overt reservations for office of President on the basis of religion, the oath for all parliamentary offices in the constitution assumes that all citizens belong to the majority religion," it pointed out. "The religiously biased articles 41(2), 260(3) will have to be amended to accommodate religious plurality and remove religious discrimination in the affairs of the state."

Article 41(2) of the constitution says, "A person shall not be qualified for election as President unless he is a Muslim of not less than forty-five years of age and is qualified to be elected as member of the National Assembly." Similarly, only Muslims are allowed to become prime minister, chief of any of the armed forces and chief justice.

The statement also asserted "both use and abuse of badly drafted blasphemy laws, and incompatible personal laws have lead to human rights violations, destruction of places of worship and properties of religious minorities." Hence, constitutional safeguards about religious freedom and non-discrimination need reinforcement through constitutional amendments dealing with social justice and protection of minorities, it argues.

Catholic priests say discrimination and abuse of blasphemy laws, which severely punish vaguely defined insults to Prophet Muhammad or the Qur'an, are serious issues for them in their work. Church leaders have long charged the laws are abused for personal gain and that religious extremists are furthering their agenda by abusing the blasphemy laws, but fundamentalist pressure is seen as having kept the government from openly discussing changes.

The bishops' commission lamented the lack of any statutory body to oversee the enforcement of human rights or to investigate human rights violations and redress grievances. It also urged the government to provide economic relief to "already impoverished religious minorities" through a package of national and provincial budget measures.

Pakistan is beset by political and socioreligious tensions including attempts by Muslim militants to impose an intolerant version of Islam. Besides violence between the two major Islamic communities, Sunni and Shia, a number of attacks on Christians have occurred in the past few years.

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