First minority member to present budget

Kamran Michael will be the first non-Muslim finance minister ever to present the budget.


Express June 10, 2011

LAHORE:


Provincial Finance Minister Kamran Michael will become the first minister belonging to a group of minorities to present the budget in the assembly in the 63-year history of the country.


He will be bestowed this honour as he presents the provincial budget on Friday (today) in the Punjab Assembly.

The decision, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said, was in line with the policy announced by the father of the nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which he announced on August 11, 1947 while addressing the ‘Constituent Assembly’.

According to a PML-N handout, the PML-N has provided minorities opportunities to take part in the nation-building process. Kamran Michael has been given the additional charge of the finance ministry.

The decision to appoint him is intended to restore the country’s image abroad.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 10th, 2011.

COMMENTS (15)

S K Anwar, | 12 years ago | Reply Well, for the first time in the 64 years history of Pakistan, a non-muslim, Christian minority MPA, Mr kamran Michael, has at last, allowed to read out the annual budget for 2011-12. The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N)has thought it fit to credit itself by saying that this decision is in line with the policy announced by the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah,which he announced on August 11, 1947 in the first Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. Well, if our political leaders/parties are serious about their responsibilities towards the people of Pakistan and want to discharge their functions in line with the thinking and practice of the founder of Pakistan, then all our cabinets both, Federal and provincial, must include an Ahmadi/qadiani minister along with Parsi, Hindu, and Christan representatives/ministers. At least one/fourth of the cabinets ministers must belong to the non-majority part of the papulation. It will also be in line with the colour scheme of the Pakistani flag, as one-fourth part of it is white,which represents pakistani minorities. All this will surely make Pakistan constituted of strongly unified united nationality.
Meekal Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply This is great. It should never have become an issue in the first place. Hope he is being provided protection.
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ