President Asif Ali Zardari has greeted the Hindu community on the occasion of Dewali saying the government believes that the Hindus, indeed all minorities of Pakistan are equal citizens of the state and must be given equal rights including the right to vote for all candidates along-with Muslim voters.
"I wish to extend my heartiest greetings on my behalf, on behalf of Pakistan Peoples Party and people of Pakistan to Hindu community on the occasion of Dewali," Zardari said in a statement here on Tuesday. He said that he was happy that as a result of the political struggle the provision in the original 1973 Constitution of joint electorate had already been restored and the religious apartheid foisted on the nation ended.
Zardari said that the liberal democratic forces in the country have been in the forefront in protecting the rights of minorities in accordance with the teachings of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and Quaid-e-Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and that he was proud of it.