LAHORE: Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar said on Tuesday that a ‘Special Commission’ was being constituted for the protection of rights of minorities while the formulation of the ‘Minority Rights Commission’ has been drafted.

While talking to a Christian community delegation, led by the provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Ejaz Alam; the CM maintained that Rs 2.5 billion have been earmarked in the current financial year for the welfare of minorities. He said the recruitment process has started for the vacancies under the 5-per cent job quota for minorities and 100-per cent implementation would be ensured. For the first time in the history of Punjab, a 2-percent special quota has been fixed for students of minority communities in higher education institutions to help them to continue their studies.

He maintained that Youhana-Abad in Lahore and Warispura in Faisalabad have been declared as model minority areas. Similarly, a Hindu temple has been restored in the Bhong area of Rahim Yar Khan and every effort will be made to protect the rights of the religious minorities, he added.

Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, while addressing the Christmas cake-cutting ceremony and talking to the media, said that the minorities are safe in Pakistan whereas in India minorities are unsafe and are being subjected to worst kind of violence. He maintained that steps taken by the PTI government under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan to protect the lives and property of minorities and ensure their religious freedom has been commended and appreciated by Sikh communities and other organizations around the world. He said the people of all religions are on one page to promote religious harmony in Pakistan. Incidents like Sialkot tragedy cannot be tolerated and nobody can be allowed to take the law into their own hands, he said.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021