KARACHI - The Sindh Opposition MPAs elected on reserved seats for minorities criticised the PPP rulers for ignoring them, and demanded the provincial government to take them on board regarding the chief minister-led committee on protection of minorities.
Talking to The Nation, PML-F’s Nand Kumar said that PPP government has ignored the minorities’ MPAs from the opposition benches as far as the committee on Protection of Minorities is concerned. He said that even the ruling PPP’s elected members from lower Sindh like Thar were not given representation in the high-powered committee formed by PPP chairman Bilawal Zardari in order to come up with legislation and steps for the protection of minorities in the province. He criticised the PPP, saying the democratically elected rulers failed to implement the 5 percent job quota for the minorities in every government department.
Similarly, MPAs from the MQM and other parties were also of the same viewpoint, as they demanded the government to include them in the committee.
Surendar Valasai, advisor to Bilawal on minority affairs, said that a committee for protection of minority rights will soon be announced with CM Syed Qaim Ali Shah as its head. Talking to a delegation of minorities, Surendar Valasai said the PPP is the only political party in the country that is seriously concerned about the rights of minorities. He said the committee will look into all the issues being faced by minorities in its monthly meetings to be presided over by the CM.
“This is the first committee of its kind in Pakistan where all minorities including Hindus, Christians, Dalit/Scheduled Castes, Sikhs, Parsis, etc have their representation,” he added. From the government side, two provincial ministers, home secretary, finance secretary, IGP and others will also be the members, he said.