by Shafique Khokhar

A few days before the big event in Tor Vergata, the Archdiocese's Justice and Peace Commission held its Youth Day. Kashif Anthony: ‘I want to see their conditions improve and help them work to contribute to the betterment of society and our country.’

Karachi (AsiaNews) - ‘We would like to do much more for the young people of our country. They are full of enthusiasm and have great potential, but they need someone to guide them and show them the right direction.’

Kashif Anthony, coordinator of the local Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, comments on the commitment to young people in the Archdiocese of Karachi, which held its Youth Day a few days before the large gathering in Tor Vergata with Pope Francis.

Anthony recalled that while studying at the Angelicum University in Rome, one of his professors asked him what his future plans were after graduating in interreligious studies, and he immediately replied that he would return to his country to work with young people, marginalised people who suffer discrimination and injustice, because he wanted to actively commit himself to diversity, pluralism and coexistence in his country, Pakistan.

He also said that for him this calling comes from God, which he found in the Bible: ‘I have seen the misery of my people, I have heard their cries’ (Ex 3:7), said Kashif Anthony. ‘I want to see their condition improve and help them work to contribute to the betterment of society and our country,’ added Kashif.

One of the initiatives carried out in this regard was the work to facilitate the recruitment of young Christians into the Karachi police force under the quota reserved for minorities. This effort aimed to address the under-representation of minorities in government jobs and provide opportunities for young people.

In April 2024, 240 men and 30 women from Karachi's Christian community applied for police officer positions within the Sindh police force.

Back in 2018, Kashif Anthony had played an important role in organising a minority youth summit in Karachi, bringing together over 400 young people from different religious backgrounds, including Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Bahá'í and Muslim communities.

The summit focused on interfaith peace and promoted the idea of young people as agents of change in eliminating intolerance and building harmony between different religions and cultures.

At the Youth Day held in Karachi on 12 August, Shahzad Arshad, director of the office of the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace, encouraged young people to commit themselves to positive change in society.

He also focused on raising awareness of their rights, education, dialogue and policy promotion, involving young leaders in the Commission's broader mission of promoting human rights, religious tolerance and conscious citizenship.

Mahesh Kumar Hasija, member of the Sindh Provincial Assembly and member of the Provincial Task Force of the Minority Caucus for UN Development Goals, in his speech highlighted the problems created in Pakistan by a biased school curriculum that has a negative impact on our young people, also damaging them psychologically.

‘The subject “Ethics” provided in the school curriculum for those belonging to minorities should be taught to all students: why should only students belonging to minorities learn ethics?’

He also pointed out that the Hindu community has already prepared its own religious studies programme, which will soon become part of the school curriculum in all schools in Sindh province. In addition, he also called for work on a religious studies programme for Christian students.

Mr Kumar expressed appreciation for the work of the Justice and Peace Commission and thanked it for its role in supporting marginalised youth and minorities who suffer injustice and discrimination.

Herschele Christopher, journalist, human rights activist and Pakistan's youngest digital marketing specialist, commented that the event was excellent and expressed his sincere appreciation to Fr Shahzad Arshad and Mr Kashif Anthony for organising such a meaningful programme for young people.

It was a valuable platform for learning, motivation and unity. He also said that, in addition to guiding young people, he believes it is equally important to provide help to parents. Many young people today want to explore the world and develop skills in areas such as artificial intelligence, marketing or development.

‘Unfortunately, some parents form opinions without adequate research and may discourage these paths,’ he added.

These are challenges that affect a country like Pakistan, where wounds remain deep: just recently, Lahore marked the second anniversary of the attacks on the Christian neighbourhood of Jaranwala, violence fuelled on 16 August 2023 by false accusations of blasphemy, which left death and destruction in their wake but for which no justice has been done.

"Once again, we call on the government of Pakistan to ensure that all perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice and that the survivors of Jaranwala receive the full rehabilitation, financial compensation and long-term support that they have been promised. Impunity for violence against religious minorities in Pakistan must end,‘ said Michelle Chaudhry, president of the Cecil & Iris Chaudhry Foundation.

’Justice has not been done and the perpetrators remain unpunished,‘ Dominican Father Lazar Aslam told AsiaNews.

’The future of our young Christians is increasingly uncertain. Many no longer wish to live in Pakistan, as they feel excluded from the nation to which they rightfully belong. This represents a serious failure on the part of the state to guarantee equality, dignity and security for all citizens. We call on the government and law enforcement agencies to take immediate and concrete measures to ensure justice, accountability and protection for minorities."