MITHI - Foreign Minister, Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Thursday, said that minorities in Pakistan had equal rights and freedom to practice their religion and celebrate their religious festivals as envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and guaranteed by the constitution. Addressing a grand public gathering here on the occasion of religious festival of Diwali, he said that Pakistanis were celebrating festival of Diwali with their Hindu brothers but on the other side of border in Rajhistan, the Muslims were under oppression while in Kashmir, restrictions had been imposed even on Eid prayers and Muaharam congregations. Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that Prime minister Imran Khan had focused on dispensation of justice to neglected and marginalized communities of Sindh and wanted to set them free from shackles of slavery of feudals. “I am here to hoist flag of change in underdeveloped area of Thar,” he pronounced. PM Imran Khan in its struggle against ignorance, poverty and backwardness was facing economic constraints and conspiracies while on the other side there was a storm of fake news, Qureshi said adding that all the negative tactics could not hamper PTI’s struggle as its leadership was determined and committed with the objectives.
He expressed gratitude to Pir Pagara, Arbab Ghulam Rahim, minority community and all the residents of the area who supported him in his endeavors or voted in favour of PTI and maintained that every dark night ended into a bright morning.
Qureshi said that he earlier visited Tharparkar to express his support to poor people of the desert who were under oppression of feudal lords.
“I am here again as coercive steps could not obstruct me whether you register fake FIRs, transfer government employees or occupy lands of our supporters,” he said adding that he was optimist that situation in Thar would be changed.
People who won previous election in Thar did not return to take care of their constituency while he was there again, FM Qureshi said, adding that his political vision was seeing winds of change blowing in Sindh.
Imran Khan led federal government had provided health cards indiscriminately to residents of Tharparkar and every family could avail medical coverage of Rs one million, he added.
He said that water was vital need of human and he got Rs 1 billion approved for his constituency but Sindh government obstructed the project.
PM Imran Khan announced Rs 120 billion relief package for low income groups and every eligible person would get the facility on merit in a transparent manner, he stated adding that during difficult times of Corona pandemic Ehsas emergency cash assistance was made available to deserving families at their door step.
PTI government did not terminated social security program named after Benazir Bhutto and kept providing cash support to destitute population, he said adding that federal government was vying to make the program transparent by removing corrupt practices from it.
Qureshi said that he had been in Thar to felicitate Arbab Ghulam Rahim on joining PTI. He also lauded velour of Lajpat Bheel who despite being a common citizen dared to challenge cruel and coercive feudal system in Thar.
The foreign minister extended felicitation to Bheel community on festival of Diwali and said that now the minority community had to decide if they were ready to choose the new vistas leading to their emancipation and empowerment.
Central Vice President PTI and Leader of the Opposition in Sindh Assembly, Haleem Adil Sheikh, while speaking at the occasion, said that the public gathering in Mithi conveyed a message to Indian PM Modi that Pakistani Foreign Minister was celebrating Diwali with Hindu community in Tharparkar while Muslims of India were suffering inhuman persecution and state tyranny.
In Sindh, Bilawal Zardari had subjected the masses to suppression, exploitation and despotism and deprived them of their fundamental rights and basic amenities, he alleged adding “People would not forgive Bilawal and will make him accountable for his repressive acts.”
Haleem said that Lajpat Sorani- a PTI worker who was protesting killing of a Thar coal employee Dodo Bheel-was put into prison and tortured vehemently while other PTI workers were also subjected to torture by police.
He said that PTI government allocated Rs 275 billion for provision of health card to people of Tharparkar so that every citizen of under-developed desert area could avail better health facilities.
Flour price in Punjab was Rs 55 per kg while in Sindh it was Rs 80 , he said.
The PPP government had deprived people of Sindh of health, education, drinking water and other necessities, Haleem alleged.
PTI MNA Jai Parkash Lohana said that people of Thar were provided health cards by federal government but Sindh government could not provide hospitals. He informed that a federal government funded project aimed at provision of water to desert area would start in the next month and under the project summer pumps to be installed in 600 villages of Tharparkar.
PTI leaders MNA Laal Malhi, Dr Ramesh Kumar, Chela Ram and other said on the occasion that festival of Diwali was celebrated to mark victory of virtue and righteousness over the vice.
They said that minorities in Pakistan were enjoying equal rights and national leadership was here at the far-most area of the country just to celebrate the religious event of minority community.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi received a warm welcome when he reached at Mithi in a rally from Karachi accompanied with Makhdoomzada Zain Hussain Qureshi, Haleem Adil Sheikh, MPA Riaz Hyder, Hiji Nisar Ahmed Arain, Haji Asghar Pali, Akbar Pali and others.