Secretary General PPP, Punjab, Tanvir Ashraf Kaira has appreciated Chairman Bilawal Bhuutto’s categorical assurance held out to minorities in Deewali festival yesterday saying PPP would foil plans, if any, of the curtailment of citizenry of non-Muslims in Pakistan.
Mr. Tanvir Ashraf Kaira in his statement of today referred to the Chairman attending the Hindu festival “Deewali” during which he condemned the attacks of terrorists on the worship places of minorities, churches and temples, in the past by describing the abhorrent acts as attack on Ghuri Khuda Bux. This strong support at that level is the dire need of minorities, he added.
Mr. Tanvir Ashraf Kaira maintained that the PPP’s political basis stood for the equal rights for the minorities as it rejected discrimination in its all forms and manifestations.
He recalled that it was in the pursuance of the same commitment that the PPP previous democratic government declared 11 August as the Minorities Day in Pakistan in unison with the speech of the founder of the nation.
He pointed out that the PPP also took another landmark step when it decided and implemented the reservation of four seats for the minorities in the Senate. He further said that the government also put painstaking endeavours to legislate the granting of representation for minorities in the Assemblies according to their population but the change of government did not allow the completion of the process, he added.
He referred to the two religious festivals of minorities observed officially each year was also decided by the PPP democratic government.
Mr. Tanvir Ashraf Kaira said that it was the distinction of the same PPP government to reserve 5% quota for the minorities in government jobs. It was aimed at for their social mobility as respectable communities of the country, he added.
