NATIONAL DAY OF MINORITIES: CM assures minorities of equal rights in Sindh

To honour the contributions of Sindh’s minority communities, provincial chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah visited the St Patrick’s Cathedral, the Swami Narayan Temple and the Guru Nanak Darbar on Friday, the National Day of Minorities.

On his visit to the St Patrick’s Cathedral, the CM was received by leaders of the Christian community who gave him a warm welcome by showering him with rose petals.

Speaking on the occasion, Murad observed that minorities in Pakistan had equal rights. “In Sindh, we don’t consider you [Christian] a minority, instead you are sons of the soil and enjoy the same rights as our Muslim brothers do,” he said.

The contributions of the Christian community in developing the education sector besides adding to the province’s overall progress are praiseworthy, he added.

The chief minister then went on to visit the Swaminarayan temple, at Lighthouse, and the Guru Nanak Darbar, located at some distance from the temple. During both the visits, the chief minister participated in the day’s rituals.

Addressing a reception organised by Special Assistant to CM on Minorities Affairs Dr Khatul Mal Jeevan, Murad said he would speak to the provincial education department to explore the possibility of establishing a school within the premises of the temple.

“I know you [Hindus and Sikhs] have been settled in the area since a long time and have over 300 homes within and around the temple’s area, therefore, it is important that you have a school within the compound,” the chief minister stated.

On behalf of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party’s leadership, the CM assured the minority communities of the party’s support and cooperation in every matter related to their wellbeing. “Why do you feel you are minority? You are our majority, your presence has made this country colourful and beautiful and PPP would never allow this beauty to fade away,” he said.

Further extolling his party, the chief minister said the PPP has two Hindu ministers in its provincial cabinet and had another contest the general elections. “We are with you and we will be with you because you have deep roots in this province and the country. This is your country!” Murad said.

The chief minister was accompanied by provincial ministers, Dr Mukesh Chawla, Khatu Mal Jeevan, PPP leader Naveed Anthony, MPA Saeed Ghani and others.

NAO Repeal Act

As the Opposition challenged the Sindh government’s National Accountability Ordinance Repeal Act in court on Friday, Murad while speaking to media personnel following his visit to the St Patrick’s Cathedral said that after the repeal of the ordinance, NAB does not have the authority to take any action in Sindh.

“We have enforced our own anti-corruption law on the basis of which the provincial government will now eliminate corruption from the province on its own.”

He said that NAB had no jurisdiction over provincial cases now. “Our stance is very clear that anti-corruption is a provincial subject,” the chief minister clarified, adding, that the provincial government will strengthen provincial laws to fight corruption.

In response to a question, the CM said the Sindh Governor was not a member of the apex committee and was invited for a meeting through a special invitation.

Commenting on the recent killings of policemen in the metropolis, he said he was taking strict measures to end target killings of policemen. “We are working on it to explore which group has emerged to challenge the police force,” he said and vowed to take the group to task.

Furthermore, commenting on provincial police chief’s complaints of the Sindh government trespassing police force’s authority, Murad said the matter was in court and can, hence, not be discussed.