ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday paid tributes to the minorities for their contribution in nation-building and socio-economic development of the country.
“On the National Day of Minorities, I join the nation in paying rich tributes to our non-Muslim citizens for their valuable contributions in nation-building and assure them of the government’s consistent and unwavering commitment to protecting their rights,” the prime minister said in a message in connection with the day.
He said the nation celebrates the role and contributions of the non-Muslim citizens for peace, progress and prosperity of Pakistan on the National Day of Minorities, the official news agency reported.
“Our minority communities are part and parcel of the Pakistani nationalism. From the freedom struggle to this day, they have contributed meaningfully to building the country. From defence to education to health to social service, there is no walk of life where our non-Muslim brothers and sisters have not played their role in the socio-economic development of the country,” he added.
The day, he said, also drew the attention to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s historic speech at the floor of the legislative assembly where he laid down the rules of engagement for the citizens with the newly created state of Pakistan. “The very idea of Pakistan is incomplete without our non-Muslim citizens. The ‘white’ colour of our flag symbolises their place in the body politic of Pakistan,” he added.
PM Shehbaz said from Jogendranath Mandal, Pakistan’s first law minister, to Dr Maira Phailbus to Dr Ruth Pfau to Justice Dorab Patel, the list of our Pakistani non-Muslim personalities of eminence was long whose contributions to public service continued to be celebrated.
He said interfaith harmony was a marked feature of the national identity. Pakistan is a strong advocate of pluralism, and diversity.
“Our Constitution guarantees the provision of social, political, religious and economic rights to all citizens without any discrimination of caste, creed and colour,” he said, adding: “I am happy to state that the empowerment of our minority communities has taken the centre-stage of public policy, as successive governments have allocated resources and implemented policies aimed at their mainstreaming and empowerment.”
The prime minister urged all segments of the society to forge unity in their ranks. He said nothing was more powerful than the spirit of togetherness in a nation, for it powered its imagination and strengthened its resolve to overcome the odds.
“‘Unity, faith and discipline’, the Quaid’s motto, shows us the way forward to navigate the challenges.” he added.
Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf has extended heartfelt tribute and profound appreciation to all Pakistani minorities for their exceptional contributions and unwavering dedication towards the cherished homeland.
He reiterated Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to ensuring the full realisation of rights for fellow citizens, in accordance with the principles enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan, notably within Articles 36.
The speaker emphatically emphasised that Pakistan embraced every resident within its borders, standing firmly against any form of discrimination based on caste, creed, colour, or religion.
This sentiment echoes the resounding words of Quaid-e-Azam on the historic day of August 11, 1947, when he fervently declared, “We embark on this journey without distinctions, where every community, caste, and creed are treated equally. We begin with the fundamental belief that we are all citizens, equal citizens of one nation.”
On this solemn occasion of National Minorities Day, the speaker renewed the nation’s commitment to construct a harmonious, progressive, and inclusive Pakistan, firmly grounded in the foundational principles laid down by the nation’s visionary father, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
