ISLAMABAD: The National Minorities Day was observed on Friday with the aim to highlight their religious and socio-economic rights. The declaration to mark National Minorities Day was adopted as part of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to help and secure those belonging to religious, linguistic, national or ethnic minority groups.
The purpose of observing the Day was to highlight the message of Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who had pronounced equal rights to all citizens of Pakistan. In a message on the occasion of Minorities’ Day, President Dr Arif Alvi acknowledged the role played by minorities in the development of the country.
He said the minorities in the country enjoy all political, economic and social rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan. The President recalled the Constitution guarantees the political, economic and social rights of all citizens, regardless of their religious beliefs or ethnicity.
Quoting the teachings of Islam, he said our religion emphatically advocate for the protection of minority rights and equality among all people, fostering a spirit of harmony and unity within our diverse society. The President said Pakistan has consistently made efforts for the welfare and upkeep of minorities, including the reservation of 5 percent quota in government jobs, and separate seats of minorities in both houses of Parliament to encourage their active participation in the political and economic development of the country.
The President called upon religious scholars and the media to educate the society about the rights of minorities and promote a culture of love, tolerance, brotherhood and unity in the country. Reposing complete confidence on minorities to continue to play their pivotal role in the national development process, the President said through our collective efforts, we can forge a stronger and more prosperous Pakistan, where every individual can thrive and contribute their unique talents to the nation’s development.
In a message on the occasion of National Day of Minorities, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif assured to provide consistent and unwavering support for the protection of rights of minorities. He said our Constitution guarantees the provision of social, political, religious and economic rights to all citizens without any discrimination of caste, creed and color.
The Prime Minister termed minority communities as the part and parcel of the Pakistani nationalism as they contributed meaningfully to building the country from defense to education to health to social service. Drawing attention to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s historic speech at the floor of the Legislative Assembly, he said the very idea of Pakistan is incomplete without non-Muslim citizens as the white colour of our flag symbolizes their place in the body politic of Pakistan. Mentioning the services of country’s first law minister Jogendranath Mandal, Dr Maira Phailbus, Dr Ruth P fau and Justice Dorab Patel, the Prime Minister said the list of Pakistani non-Muslim personalities of eminence is long whose contributions to public service continue to be celebrated.
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