KARACHI (Staff Reporter) Minority representatives and interfaith leaders, in a consultative session organized by IRF Roundtable Pakistan at a local hotel in Karachi, urged the national media to play a more responsible role in highlighting issues concerning religious and ethnic minorities. IRF Director for Pakistan Kashif Mirza said that media should act as a watchdog to protect minority rights by amplifying marginalized voices, educating the public on constitutional guarantees, and promoting tolerance. He emphasized the need for greater investment in public-interest journalism and better training for reporters to cover minority issues effectively, noting that many journalists lack the time, resources, or subject knowledge to report comprehensively on such matters.
Participants including Bhevish Kumar, organizer of the Minority Rights March, demanded equal and quality education for all, with at least a 10% quota for religious minorities in public and private institutions. Anila Ali, President of AMMWEC and Co-Chair of IRF Roundtable, said that minorities often make it to mainstream media only when tragic incidents occur, while their positive roles and contributions are ignored. Tusha Patel from the Parsi community lamented that minority-related stories rarely get proper airtime or follow-up, and Sadia Baloch of HRCP reminded that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had envisioned a Pakistan where people of all faiths enjoy equal rights a vision yet to be fully realized.
