President Zardari reaffirms equal rights for minorities

President Asif Ali Zardari on Tuesday reaffirmed that minority communities in Pakistan enjoy equal rights and emphasised the need to increase their job quotas in various government departments.

Speaking at a ceremony after signing the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024 at the Aiwan-i-Sadr on Tuesday, President Zardari announced his intention to request the federal government to enhance job quotas for minorities in departments such as the police and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

“I will definitely write to the government and ask them for this,” he stated, stressing that there should be a quota for minorities in every department.

The president underscored that all citizens of Pakistan have equal rights and urged minority communities to continue contributing to the country's progress and prosperity. He assured them that this land belongs to them as much as to any other citizen.

President Zardari also advised minorities not to be disheartened by political issues, acknowledging that every society faces certain problems.

The ceremony was attended by Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhry Salik Hussain, the ministry's secretary, and representatives of the Christian community.

Bishop Abraham Daniel, speaking on the occasion, expressed gratitude to President Zardari for signing the Act into law, noting that raising the marriageable age for men and women had been a long-standing demand of the Christian community.

He also thanked the president for his previous efforts, including reserving a 5% quota for minorities in government jobs, allocating special seats for minorities in the Senate, and declaring August 11 as Minorities’ Day in Pakistan.

Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Zulfiquar Haider, reiterated the government’s commitment to safeguarding minority rights in line with the Constitution of Pakistan and the vision of the country's founding fathers.

Earlier, President Zardari signed into law the Christian Marriage (Amendment) Act 2024. The Act raises the marriageable age for Christian men and women to eighteen years, amending Section 60 of the Christian Marriage Act of 1872, which previously set the ages at sixteen and thirteen years respectively.

The President accorded assent to the Act under Article 75 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.