Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday said the government has constituted a high-level committee to examine the functions of Ministry of Minorities which would give recommendations to resolve the problems of minorities. The Committee, he mentioned consists of Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Secretary Cabinet and Secretary Establishment Division.
The Prime Minister reiterated that minorities and women were his own constituencies and he was personally concerned about their welfare and well-being. The Prime Minister was talking to a delegation of minorities' MNAs belonging to all political parties, which met him here at the PM House.
The Prime Minister assured the delegation that the Minorities Development Fund meant for their uplift and economic empowerment through development schemes and financial assistance would not lapse and would be equally distributed among the 12 minorities' MNAs including two women MNAs to the tune of Rs 7 million each.
The Prime Minister said in accordance with the spirit of 18th Constitutional Amendment, he would direct the provincial governments to cater for the needs of the minorities in their respective PSDPs (Public Sector Development Programme), while he assured that the Federal Government would accommodate the minorities in the Prime Minister's Development Programmes as well as PSDP.
The Prime Minister directed the Establishment Division to ensure 5 percent quota for the minorities as decided earlier in all the Federal Government institutions including the Armed Forces. He said that the quota of the minorities in the Parliamentary Secretariats and Judicial set-up would also be duly catered for, by the respective institutions.
The government would not only look after the welfare of the minorities in the country but also help them for their interests at international level. The Prime Minister asked Akram Masih Gill, Minister of State for Interfaith Harmony and Minorities Affairs to prepare a broad based comprehensive programme for the improvement and redressal of the grievances of the minorities.
The members of the minorities' delegation expressed complete confidence in the leadership of the Prime Minister and his commitments to the rights of the minorities. The delegation specifically mentioned that since the minorities have been given special representation in the national flag, therefore, their issues deserve to be considered through policies, which can be implemented throughout the country.
The delegation stressed upon ensuring 5 percent quota for the minorities in the Federal Government jobs as well as increase in the amount of assistance to the deserving and poor out of the Minorities Development Fund from Rs 5,000 upto Rs 50,000 according to the nature of requirement. The delegation included Minister of State for Interfaith Harmony and Minorities Affairs Akram Masih Gill (PML-Q), Dr Paul Jacob Bhatti, Advisor to Prime Minister on Minorities Affairs, Lal Chand MNA (PPPP), Dr Darshan MNA (PML-N), Dr Nelson Azeem MNA (PML-N), Krishan Chand Parwani MNA (PML), Munawer Lal MNA (MQM), Mrs Asiya Nasir MNA (JUI), and Dr Khatumal Jeewan MNA (PPPP).