Farahnaz Ispahani, Media Advisor to the President Friday said that the government of Pakistan Peoples Party believed that no country can make substantial progress if the minorities are singled out from the mainstream. She was addressing the Independence Day celebration ceremony arranged by All Hindu Panchayat Balmeek Sabha Pakistan at Christian Study Centre in Rawalpindi as chief guest.
Farahnaz said the government was pursuing the policies outlined by Quaid-e-Azam and pursued by Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Benaziar Bhutto. She said the government under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani had taken a number of steps to ensure protection of the minorities, to ensure their maximum participation and to ensure that they were at par with the mainstream.
While quoting excerpts from the speeches of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, she referred to a number of steps taken by the Government such as reservation of five percent quota for minorities (non-Muslims) in government services, declaring 11th August as Minorities Day and recent announcement of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on a committee comprising constitutional experts.
In addition, she said, the other steps include assigning separate portfolio of minister for minorities and other representatives to discuss the laws detrimental to religious harmony in order to sort out how they could be improved. The ceremony was also co-chaired by Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, Chairman National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony. Other speakers included Mufti Allah Rakha Farooqi, Chairman National Peace Committee Bahawalpur Division, Professor Ronald Revaiz, Colonel S. K. Tresler (Retd).
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