National Minorities Day: Promised Equal Rights, Religious Freedom

Pakistan celebrates National Minorities Day on Tuesday (today).

The day of National Minorities Day was observed for the first time in Pakistan on August 11, 2009, when Yousaf Raza Gilani was serving as the prime minister.

This day is held on August 11 every year to recognise the rights of minorities and honour the good contribution of the minority population.

The positive role of the minority community in the development and progress of the country is the reflection of the pledge and historic speech of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, under which every citizen enjoys equal rights and complete religious freedom without any discrimination.

MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT ASIF ALI ZARDARI

President Asif Ali Zardari has asked the nation to reaffirm its commitment to building Pakistan as a country characterised by justice, equality, tolerance and devotion to mankind.

The president stated in a message on National Minorities Day: “We must ensure that our future generations inherit a Pakistan that is a beacon of peace, progress, stability and mutual respect.”

On the historic day of National Minorities Day, the president sent sincere greetings to all Pakistanis, especially to their ethnic and religious minorities.

He added that the religious minority of Pakistan have played a vital role in hostilities, warfare, health, education and other fields of life and still today along with other compatriots and would continue to do so.

“Their national services, patriotism and great contribution to the holistic progress and development of the country is worthy of the pride of the entire nation,” he added.

PM Shehbaz Sharif

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan observes National Minorities Day every year with a firm resolve to acknowledge the priceless presence of minorities, their inclusion in the national mainstream and their significant contributions toward national progress and prosperity.

In his message on the National Minorities Day, the prime minister said the minorities residing in Pakistan were an intrinsic part of the national fabric and represented the real beauty of the country’s unique social and cultural landscape.

He recalled that in the historic maiden session of the Constituent Assembly on August 11, 1947, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had categorically declared that minorities in Pakistan had equal rights and that people were free to go to their temples, mosques or any other place of worship and that religion, caste or creed had nothing to do with the state’s business.

“These historic words of Quaid-e-Azam have a permanent and unforgettable place in the social order, system of governance and religious ethos of Pakistan,” the prime minister remarked.

He said the day was also an opportunity to reaffirm Pakistan’s steadfast commitment to the cause of unity among various segments and communities of the society, peaceful coexistence, mutual respect and equal opportunities for progress for all. He added that Pakistan was a diverse society where people belonging to different faiths, cultures, nationalities and traditions lived together in harmony.