KARACHI - Sindh Minister for Science and Technology Taimur Talpur has said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) believes in equal rights for all citizens, irrespective of their caste, creed or colour.
In his message on National Minorities Day commemorated on Tuesday, he said, “We will continue to fight for the equal rights of minorities and for the establishment of an equal and democratic society.”
The provincial minister said that all citizens, including minorities, had the right to live according to their religion. “The PPP is the true heir to Quaid-e-Azam’s vision, which he had expressed in his August 11 speech,” Talpur said, and added, “Protecting and empowering the minorities is part of the party’s manifesto.”
The minister said that 1973 constitution guaranteed equal rights to minorities.
He claimed that PPP had always taken revolutionary steps for the rights and welfare of minorities. “Late Benazir Bhutto had set up a separate ministry for solution to the problems of minorities when she was the country’s prime minister,” he reminded.
He further said not only this, but former president Asif Ali Zardari had started celebrating August 11 as a national day to show solidarity with minorities. “PPP has ensured adequate representation of minorities in all government institutions, including parliament,” Talpur added.
The provincial minister said that there was a long list of the services rendered by minorities for the socio-economic development of Pakistan.
“Today, we must all pledge that despite being followers of different religions, we all are one nation,” he asserted.
In the end, the provincial minister strongly condemned police shelling on PML-N supporters and workers outside the NAB office in Lahore.
He said that the NAB-Niazi ‘nexus’ was bent upon destroying the country. “So ‘throwing stones’ at PML-N workers when party Vice President Maryam Nawaz had arrived at the NAB office in connection with her case hearing, was nothing, but revenge,” he opined.
“The ‘fascism’ and ‘dictatorship’ of the Niazi government is shameful and regrettable,” he said.
Talpur called for stopping what he called a drama in the name of accountability. “Remember Imran Niazi, you will not have a place to hide. Puppet rulers are undermining the foundations of the country through undemocratic and non-political means. Political leaders are not afraid of jails’ jail is another home for political activists,” he concluded.