LARKANA: Sindh Minister for Minorities Affairs Giyanoo Mal alias Gianchand Essrani said on Tuesday that the provincial government is considering issuing a dedicated Benazir Income Support Minorities Card to provide financial support to the deserving people from minorities communities.
Speaking at a seminar on “Promoting Interfaith Harmony in Sindh” jointly organized by the provincial department of Minorities Affairs, Government of Sindh and The Knowledge Forum at a local hotel he said the provincial government is already providing financial support and scholarship to students from minorities.
Representatives from the religious minorities urged the provincial government to get passed the forced conversion bill from Sindh Assembly as the cases are increasing in the interior of Sindh. The minorities communities deplored that the previous bill on forced conversion was sent back by the former Governor to the Sindh Assembly. Since then the bill was not again present in the house, they added.
Sindh Minister for Minorities Affairs Giyanoo Mal alias Gianchand Essrani said that PPP leadership is giving top priority to the solution of minorities’ problems. He assured that the bill would be taken up and the PPP government would present it soon.
In his presentation, Pirphulal Satiyani said according to 2017 Census only 4 per cent population of Pakistan belongs to other religions including Hindus, Christians Parsis, Buddhists, Ba’hais and Sikhs.
According to him the minorities communities are facing discrimination in every aspect of life including bonded labour, economic exploitation, discrimination in jobs, poor implementation of 50 percent job quota and attacks on Religious places.
He said despite the fact a separate Hindu Marriage Law is passed but no marriage is registered under the law. Senator Krishna Kolhi underlined the need for promoting interfaith harmony in society. Bishop of Sindh and Balochistan Bishop Fredrick John, a representative of Parsi community Ms. Tushna Patel, Kalpina Devi, advocate, Kamla Bheel and others also spoke.