Minority Parliamentarians Caucus formed to protect minorities’ rights

Provincial Assembly of Sindh Speaker Syed Awais Qadir Shah on Sunday announced the forming of the Minority Parliamentarians Caucus aimed at safeguarding and advancing the rights of minorities. Shah was speaking at The Peace Conference that was jointly organised by PA Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed and the Nehemiah Trust Pakistan.

The conference emphasised the crucial role of a robust democracy in fostering religious tolerance and social harmony in Pakistan. Religious clergy from various faiths, including Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Parsis, attended the conference.

Shah underscored the province’s heritage as a bastion of Sufi teachings, renowned for its promotion of religious tolerance. Reflecting on the historical significance of the PA as the cradle of the country’s inception, he noted the representation of diversity through the current PA deputy speaker, a Christian Pakistani.

Shah highlighted the enduring influence of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s pivotal address of August 11, 1946, in shaping the ethos of the 1973 constitution. He reiterated the constitutional commitment to safeguarding the rights of minorities in Pakistan.

Pledging proactive measures, he vowed to champion religious tolerance from the platform of the PA, and announced the forming of the Minority Parliamentarians Caucus to further this cause.

Religious Affairs Minister Riaz Hussain Shirazi, Women’s Welfare Minister Shahnila Sher Ali, PA opposition leader Ali Khursheedi, Turkish Consul General Cemal Sango, Malaysia’s representative Herman Hardynata Ahmad, Iranian CG Hasan Nooryan, the Edhi Trust’s Faisal Edhi, Jamaat-e-Islami MPA Muhammad Farooq, Sindh Human Rights Commission Chairman Iqbal Detho and Mufti Abu Bakar also attended the conference.