Sikh, Parsi representatives included in non-Muslim welfare committee

The Sindh government reconstituted the Provincial Non-Muslim Welfare Committee on Tuesday to induct representatives of the Sikh and Parsi communities.

As per a notification issued recently by the provincial government’s minorities affairs department, in supersession of the previous notification and with the approval of the chief minister the committee will now comprise 16 members representing different communities.

The committee is headed by Dr Khato Mal Jewan, an MPA who is also serving as the special assistant to the chief minister on minority affairs.

Sardar Ramesh Singh, a leader of the Pakistan Sikh Council, and Mrs Tushanamaity Patil, a social activist from the Parsi community, have been included in the committee.

A secretary or director of the provincial minorities affairs department will also be a member.  

The other members include MPA and former provincial minorities affairs minister Gian Chand Essrani, Senator Hari Ram Kishori Lal, MNA Ramesh Kumar, provincial excise and taxation minister Mukesh Kumar Chawla, MPA Muhesh Kumar Malani, MPA Engineer Pesu Mal, MPA and Pakistan People’s Party minorities wing provincial president Dr Lal Chand Ukrani, Christian community leader Anwar Lal Dean,  former provincial minorities affairs minister Dr. Mohan Lal Kohistani, Senator Engineer Giyan Chand, Neemon Mal Kohli and Tilok Chand Valasai, almost all of them belonging to the PPP.

The committee will resolve the issues of religious minorities and endorse the administrative approval for repair, renovation and maintenance of worship places of the non-Muslim communities.

Singh, who is also the head of the sub-committee for Sikh and Parsi communities, said his community was grateful to Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah for included Sikh and Parsi communities in the committee.

“It is a good initiative as it will take the two minorities into confidence by giving their representatives the authority to delegate their funds,” Singh told The News.

Politics of welfare committee

In 2012, interim minorities affairs minister Hasan Ali Shah had formed a “Zimmi Welfare Committee”, later renamed the Provincial Non-Muslim Welfare Committee.

The committee was mandated to delegate Rs100 million for minorities’ welfare from the department’s funds.

The committee comprised representatives of all minorities; Ravi Dawani, the general secretary of the All Pakistan Hindu Panchayat, Roman Catholic Bishop Joseph Coutts, Karachi Parsi Anjuman Trust chairman Bahram D Avari and Sardar Ramesh Singh of the Pakistan Sikh Council.

However, the PPP government in December 2013 had replaced the committee with a 10-member committee comprising mainly lawmakers belonging to the PPP. It caused anger among the non-Muslim communities, especially Sikhs and Parsis.  However, the new chief minister, addressing their concerns, included representatives from the two communities in the committee.