LAHORE: Mian Manzoor Ahmed Wattoo, President Punjab PPP, has urged the government and the Parliament to take up urgently the proposed Hind Marriage Registration Bill for an early legislation because it entails the important question of rights of minorities in Pakistan.
He said this in a statement issued from here today observing that the PPP considers the minorities as its constituency and support their cause as a liberal and democratic Party in true sense of the word.
He said that the well being of minorities was the corner stone of the policy of the Party and had taken landmark decisions as such during its watch of governments. Their mainstreaming in the country’s politics and also for their upward social mobility was the sole objectives of the PPP governments, he added.
He pointed out that the declaration of the wish of Chairman Bilawal Bhutto to see a non-Muslim as Chief Executive of the country was the manifestation of the ultimate commitment to the cause of the rights of the minorities.
He recalled that the PPP did not believe in playing to the gallery and had taken a number of steps for their empowerment by the PPP successive governments.
He said the founding father of the PPP created a separate Ministry for the Minorities dedicated to look after their well being in order to improve their quality of life. He also did away with the system of separate electorates for the minorities.
He recalled that the PPP former democratic government took an unprecedented decision when it reserved four seats for the minorities in the Senate that was giant step for bringing them in the mainstream politics of the country and also associating them in the decision making process on matters of national importance.
He said that the same PPP government declared August 11 as the Minority Day because on this date the founder of the nation made it abundantly clear while addressing the constituent Assembly that minorities would enjoy equal rights like other citizens of Pakistan and there would no discrimination.
For the upward social mobility of the minorities, Mian Manzooor Ahmed Wattoo said that the PPP government reserved 5% quota for them in the government jobs and ensured its implementation across board.
He said that the PPP government also notified that two functions of the minorities would be observed officially to give them the feelings of belongingness.
INP
