KARACHI:
Defeated and vulnerable, members of minority communities of the country are now looking for a ‘saviour’, and they seem to have found one in the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaaf.
A former activist of the Pakistan Peoples Party minority wing and dozens of supporters from various religious communities are the latest to inflate PTI’s growing popularity.
While talking to The Express Tribune, former parliamentarian and ticketholder of the PPP Michael Javed confirmed that he resigned from the party and is joining the PTI because the government has failed to provide rights to vulnerable communities.
“The PPP was unable to protect our minister, Shahbaz Bhatti. How can it protect us?” he said, adding that, “In the past three years, the government failed to solve the basic problems – unemployment, poverty insecurity.”
Javed also has personal reasons for leaving the PPP after it chose former Senator Khatu Mal Jeewan as Bhatti’s successor in the National Assembly. However, according to the PPP’s priority list for reserved seats of minorities, Javed was next in line to Bhatti.
“I was to become the next MNA but the government overlooked me. They sought resignation from Khatu Mal Jeewan from the Senate to pave way for Asim Hussain,” he said.
Javed added that the PPP has no Christian representative in the National Assembly, which has irked the Christian community of the country.
He said that around 400 to 500 workers of the organisation he is heading – Pakistan Minority Front – are now supporting the PTI.
PTI Sindh Spokesperson Dawa Khan Sabir confirmed the news, adding that a formal announcement will be made next week. “Michael Javed and his supporters are now joining the PTI because they want to be associated with a non-corrupt party,” he said.
Hindus, Sikhs to join PTI
Sabir said that Hindus and Sikhs from Sukkur and other parts of Sindh are also joining the PTI in the wake of a recent incident of the killing of three Hindus in Shikarpur. But he did not confirm the exact number of people joining the party.
“We consider minorities as Pakistanis, and there is no discrimination in our party against people belonging to other faiths,” Sabir said.
He said that minorities will be represented in all core council meetings of the party, and if the party decides to contest the 2013 general elections, they will be represented.
Edited by Shayan Naveed
Published in The Express Tribune, November 23rd, 2011.
COMMENTS (30)
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pti is not the party for minorities it itself a minority party
Yet PTI's Punjab president continues to stand with SSP and other minority killing and sectarian based organisations...
Double standards and hypocrisy...
@Hope: He didn't only condemned, but went to the hospital... Again, get ur facts right!!
@Hope
You are wrong. He did condemn the attacks ans please go through his recent autobiography to get details on what he thinks about Ahmadiyyah.
The fact of the matter is that Imran is the most progressive leader in Pakistan as of now.
"We consider minorities as Pakistanis" - quite sad that someone has to actually say this.
@Usman:
the MQM tries to, and musharrafs APML is increasingly a national party. the politics is as such at least.
@zia ur rehman: did Imran condemn the attacks on Ahmadi Mosques in 2010 when 90 people were butchered, one by one through bullet sprays from point blank....???? answer will be a huge no with head down.....I know he is very good and only hope ......but he does have negative marks as well like aforementioned
PTI is the party of the minorities, by the minorities but not for the minorites.
@Anonymous: He has always condemned of killing of Minorities. Check PTI's own website. Imran Khan strongly condemned killing of 3 doctors in sind recently as well. You should have confirmed this first then comment on this forum.
its very fasinatig to win imran hear for future
PTI is a special party for minorities because it has no minority wing like other parties and allows them to work with everyone else. A case in point is Brigadier (r) Samson Sharaf, who was appointed Spokesperson for Defence Productions, purely based on merit. This shows how seriously PTI takes Quaid's vision of equal treatment for minorities in Pakistan and how it as been implemented within the party first.
Minorities are right to support PTI.... Imran Khan strongly mentioned the minority rights in Lahore Jalsa
@Usman: You are forgetting APML. We in APML Expect to listen truth from atleast PTI members and the Leadership. Please stay truthful to prove yourselves to be different then the Status Quo parties. Thanks.
I think to protect the rights of minorities in Pakistan, we should first change mind set of peoples who are lacking. What PTI can do for minorities? It will take time.
One thing, we all appreciate of PTI is that it is "National Party" i.e. not representing any province, sect, community. Ethnical and Provincial parties are not as good for Pakistan.
@Jameel: Your comment was hilarous
@Anonymous: get ur facts right.. He has always condemned every attack on our minorities. His every condemnation is available on PTI's website....
@Shahid: LOL!!!
@Hassan:
This is not the same as treating them equally.
Great news. Now PTI is becoming the true representative party of Pakistan
@Usman
MQM
PTI will make pakistan a true welfare state, where every religion will have rights & freedom. PTI Zindabad.
We welcome our brothers and sisters to PTI! have hope!
All Pakistanis are welcome and this is a answer to PTI's detractors, with their constant whining about PTI not having a policy on minorities if they didnt have a policy the minorities wouldnt be joining PTI!!!!!!!!
yes.... no doubt PTI is Pakistan's party and is not a party of any certain ethnic or religious group... PTI For the win!!!..
Is there any other party in Pakistan that can call itself a truly Pakistani Party representing all sects and religions other than the PTI? Don't think so