KARACHI                -            Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government and Religious Affairs Syed Nasir Hussain Shah on Sunday vowed to protect the rights of minorities living in the province.

Speaking at the ongoing Hindu religious festival in Swami Narayan temple, the minister expressed his solidarity with the minorities, and said that the role and contribution made by them to the development and progress of the country was commendable.

Provincial minister for information said that Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had always remained committed to protecting the rights of minorities as per the teachings of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

He further said that the party would continue to do so under the guidance and leadership of its chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. He reminded that the PPP government had always reserved seats for members of the minority communities more than any other political party in the country.

Nasir said that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had not only participated in the religious festivals of minorities, but they also directed the cabinet members to follow the same.

The minister said PPP had always sought to protect the rights of minorities living in the province through the enactment of laws. “Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act is the case in point,” he added.

The minister expressed the resolve that the Sindh government would continue to introduce whatever legislation needed for the protection of minorities.

While giving a comparison between Pakistan and India, he said that in India, members of the minorities were suffering immensely owing to the depressing policies of the Modi government, while in Pakistan they were free to move anywhere they wanted and practice their religion with complete freedom. Syed Nasir Hussain Shah promised to the gathering on behalf of the Sindh government that the government would make available 10,000 copies of Bhagavad Gita for the members of Hindu community soon.

A Hindu delegation, led by Pandit Shayam Nand and Ram Yoga Das, which had come from Australia to attend the festival also met with Syed Nasir Hussain Shah and his delegation that included special coordinator to Chief Minister Shahzad Memon, Dr Lal Chand Ukrani and DMC South Chairman Malik Fayaz.

Meanwhile, talking to the media, Sindh Minister for Information, Local Government and Religious Affairs Syed Nasir Hussain Shah said that the government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had given nothing to the people, except inflation and unemployment.

The minister said that the problems of the people had increased manifold since PTI came into power. He said that people wanted to get rid of this government as soon as possible.

Responding to a question, Nasir said that Asad Umar and his colleagues were shedding crocodile tears.

Responding to another question, the minister said that Sindh was the only province where the representatives of local government were discharging their responsibilities untiringly.

He said that in contrast, the local governments in Punjab were dissolved even before the completion of their tenure. “And there is no chance of local government elections either in Punjab or in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) any time soon,” the minister said, and added that Pakistan People’s Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had given instructions to increase the powers of office-bearers of the local government so as to further facilitate the people.