-Talking to members of NCM President says government is taking steps to safeguard all religious places
-Minorities’ representatives hail government’s efforts for ensuring security of their holy places
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi on Tuesday said the government was taking necessary measures to protect the rights of minorities as well as ensure the security of their holy places.
He stated that the Constitution of Pakistan provided full protection and equal rights to all citizens including the minorities, and guaranteed fundamental rights of all citizens irrespective of their religion, race, caste, color or creed.
The President made these remarks while talking to members of National Commission of Minorities (NCM) led by Chairman Chela Ram Kewlani, here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr. Talking to members of NCM, the President said the government provided equal rights and opportunities to minorities and encouraged them to play their role in the national development of the country.
He said steps were being taken to ensure protection of churches, shrines, temples, gurdwaras and other places of worship of minority communities. The members of the Commission thanked the government for constituting the Commission and protecting the rights of minorities. Later in December last year, President said that all minorities in Pakistan enjoyed complete religious freedom and equal rights and the government was committed to ensuring all steps in this regard.
Addressing a Christmas function at Aiwan e Sadr, the president said Islamic teachings and the Constitution of Pakistan had guaranteed the religious rights of all minorities. The country’s constitutional articles were very clear about their rights, he said.
The president said the founder of Pakistan, Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his historic speech of August 11, had in a very elucidated manner pronounced the religious freedom and equal rights of all. For many, the same reference in his speech was a sort of agreement reached with all minorities.
The president said the incumbent government had already resolved under Prime Minister Imran Khan’s promise of equal treatment of all minorities. The prime minister had resolved to show to the world how minorities were treated in Pakistan, he added. The president cited unmatched precedents set up in Riasat e Madina by the Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) with regard to the treatment of people of different faiths.
“It is the duty of all to ensure these principles of equity and inter-faith harmony,” he stressed. The president further said contrary to such treatment in Pakistan, they witnessed the alarming situation in their neighborhood where religious minorities were deprived of citizenship on basis of religious discrimination. The president said under the Ehsaas program, minorities were also supported in a transparent manner.
