ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani Friday stated that the sacrifices made by the prominent leaders of the country including Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed for the sake of principles will not go in vain.
These sacrifices, he added, had strengthened the government's resolve to pursue the ideas of interfaith harmony and protection of the fundamental rights as well as lives and properties of the minorities.
The Prime Minister was talking to a delegation of Christian Church Association which called upon him at the Prime Minister House here.
The Government of Pakistan, he added, will take every possible measures to protect the places of worships of minorities and their communities throughout the country.
He further underlined the fact that terrorists and extremists had no faith in any religion and they were targeting the innocent people irrespective of their belief and creed. The majority of the victims of their heinous crimes in the country were Muslims, he added.
The Prime Minister said that the terrorists want to create terror, destabilization and spoil the image of Islam and the country. He called on the media for playing a responsible role in the war against this menace.
The Prime Minister said that interfaith harmony, religious freedom and rights of the minorities was part of his party's manifesto and his government has taken a number of initiatives like grant of 5% quota in the federal government's jobs, four seats for the minorities in the Senate of Pakistan, doubling of development and scholarship funds for the welfare and uplift of minorities for their deserving students, declaration of 11th of August as the `Minorities Day' and approval of 10 main religious festivals of minorities for their annual celebrations in the country.
He said that federal government will urge the provincial governments to also reserve a five percent job quota for the minorities in the provincial services.
He also noted that more than 40,000 needy and poor persons belonging to minorities were provided special financial assistance of Rs 5,000 each in the three years of his government and more than 4,000 minorities students were granted scholarships from Class-I to Postgraduate levels including the professional colleges.
Two hundred and tewnty-two small development schemes were being implemented for the upkeep and uplift of religious places of minorities and a hotline has been set up in the Ministry of Minorities through which the victims of their respective communities can approach and directly record their grievances for their immediate redressal, he added.
Stating that he considered minorities as his personal constituency, the Prime Minister said that he was of the firm belief to treat all the citizens of Pakistan equally and protect their rights without any discrimination.
His government hence was fully geared to address the grievances of minorities and mainstreaming them in every sphere of life, he added.
The leader of the delegation while appreciating Prime Minister's personal gesture to visit the hospital day before yesterday and the Church for the funeral service of Shahbaz Bhatti, said that his participation and the government's assurances have greatly helped to heal the wounds of the Christian community.
They further mentioned that despite provocation by different elements, the Christian community remained calm since they believe that the party in power has rendered great sacrifices in war against terror and for promoting the causes of minorities. They assured the Prime Minister that the Christian community throughout the country will remain peaceful.
They expressed hope that government of Pakistan, as in the past, will continue to persist in its efforts for protecting their lives, properties and places of worships.
They also acknowledged the fact that the present government had done far more for the minorities and their emancipation than those in the past.
The delegation also included Bishop John Samual, Bishop Irfan Jamil, Bishop Leo Paul, Bishop Abrami Azeem Daniel, Paster Peter Imran.
Minister for Interior Senator Rehman A. Malik, Chairman ETP Board Syed Asif Hashmi, Secretaries Interior, Foreign Affairs, Law & Justice and Minorities Affairs and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
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