By Aziz Khatri
KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said minority communities have made an important contribution to Pakistan’s development and prosperity, pledging that the government would continue to protect their rights.
He was speaking at a National Minorities Day ceremony held at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi, hosted by Sindh Chief Minister’s Special Assistant for Minority Affairs Dr Sham Sunder K Advani.
Deputy Speaker Sindh Assembly Naveed Anthony, Senator Krishna Kumari, provincial ministers, MPAs, Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, Arts Council President Ahmed Shah and diplomatic representatives from Bahrain, Qatar, South Korea, Bangladesh, Indonesia and Iraq attended the event.
Shah said Sindh had a centuries-old tradition of religious tolerance, brotherhood and harmony. The Constitution, he said, guaranteed minorities the right to freely practise their faith, while the Pakistan Peoples Party had consistently worked to safeguard minority rights.
“The minority community is playing an important role in the development and prosperity of Pakistan, and the government will take every possible step to protect their rights,” he said.
Dr Advani said the PPP was continuing the mission and vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, under which minorities were entitled to fundamental and constitutional rights.
He said the government wanted to build the Pakistan envisioned by the country’s founder and was working to carry forward his vision by promoting interfaith harmony, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Advani said National Minorities Day had been announced in 2009 by then-president Asif Ali Zardari to recognise the contributions and services of minority communities.
During the ceremony, shields were presented to prominent members of minority communities and other personalities in recognition of their services. Advani also presented Sindhi caps and ajraks to distinguished guests.
Participants reaffirmed their commitment to religious harmony, equality and interfaith brotherhood in Pakistan.
