President addresses at celebrations of Minority Day‏

Islamabad; August 9, 2012:



President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday reiterated commitment of the present
government to protect the rights of the minorities in Pakistan and to draw
them fully in the mainstream of national life.



The President said that 11 August, the National Minority day, has a special
significance in our national calendar as it was on this very day in 1947
when the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, made a
historic speech in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan wherein he clearly
laid down the foundations of a modern, tolerant and progressive Pakistan,
where every one would have equal rights regardless of creed, caste and
gender.



The President said this while addressing at a special event held here at
the Aiwan-e-Sadr in connection with the Minorities Day which is being
celebrated on August 11 all over the country.



He said that the government was committed to ensure equal rights for all
the minorities, adding that recognition of and respect for the minorities
rights was part of the PPP manifesto.



The President paid glorious tribute to Shahbaz Bhatti and other countless
courageous advocates of interfaith harmony who laid down their lives
fighting for the cause of promoting religious tolerance and interfaith
harmony



Counting government’s measures for the welfare of minorities, the President
said that reservation of 5% quota in government jobs, reservation of 4
seats for Minorities in the Senate, hundred percent increase in the
Minority Development Fund, Declaration of 11th August, as Minority Day and
establishment of prayer rooms in all prisons of Pakistan were some of the
initiatives taken by the present government to bring minorities into the
mainstream of national life.



He expressed confidence, that after the passage of Eighteenth Amendment,
the provinces will ensure that all communities can freely profess and
practice their religions and also safeguard their legitimate and rightful
interests.



The President on the occasion called upon scholars and leaders of all
faiths to play their active role and enter into dialogue to remove the
distrust and misunderstandings among the followers of different religions.



Those who were present at the occasion included among otheres, Chairman PPP
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Ms Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, Ms. Bakhtawar Bhutto
Zardari, Mr. Paul Bhatti,advisor to Prime Minister on National harmony, Mr.
Akram Maseeh Gill, MOS for National harmony, ministers. Parlaikentarians,
memeebrs of diplomatic community, bishops and members of minority’s
community.