Punjab PA hails minorities in special session

The first-ever Special Session of the Punjab Assembly to mark the National Minorities Day on Sunday gave a message of solidarity to the minority communities.

The agenda of the session presided over by Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed Khan pertained to introduction of the Punjab Enforcement and Regulation Bill 2024 and general discussion on the rights of minorities.

The house hailed the services of the minorities from the struggle for Pakistan to the development of the country in all sectors, including the armed forces, medicine, politics, philanthropy, law, social justice, sports, business and education.

Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmed constituted an all-minority MPAs' panel of chairpersons for the special session, comprising Sonia Ashir, Falbous Christopher, Emmanuel Ather and Ijaz Masih.

Sonia Ashir chaired the session in the absence of the speaker.

Speaker Malik Ahmed said the Minorities Day was observed on August 11 every year in line with the vision of the Father of the Nation who, in his address to the Constituent Assembly on the date in 1947, had defined the contours of the nascent state where the minorities would have complete freedom. He said freedom to the minorities to perform their rites is also enshrined in the fundamental principles of Islam.

MPA Shakeela Javed tabled a motion to establish a Parliamentary Minority Caucus, which was adopted unanimously.

Leader of Opposition Malik Ahmed Khan Bhachar's resolution was unanimously adopted to condemn Israeli aggression against hapless Palestinians in Gaza and urged the Security Council to take measures to establish peace. The resolution also condemned the killing of Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran while expressing solidarity with the Palestinian people.

Another resolution, tabled by MPA Samiullah Khan and adopted unanimously by the house, paid tribute to the heroic achievement of javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem in the Paris Olympics.

The resolution demanded that Arshad Nadeem should be declared a national hero for his feat.

The chair referred the Punjab Enforcement and Regulation Bill 2024 to the Standing Committee on S&GAD with the instructions to submit a report within two months.

The resolution to hail the country's minorities for their services was moved by Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora.

It stated that the protection of minorities was enshrined in the Constitution that guaranteed social, economic and religious freedom to them.

Arora reminded MPA Sonia Ashir that she should take pride in the fact that one of her predecessors, Jogendra Nath Mandal, had played a vital role as speaker of Punjab Assembly as his casting vote had helped in the creation of Pakistan. He said jurists like AR Cornelius had played a vital role in the history of the country. The resolution hailing the services of the minorities was adopted unanimously.

Opposition MPA Rana Aftab Ahmed Khan hailed the minorities for their services in all sectors, adding that the missionary schools had played a vital role in development of the country.

PPP Parliamentary Leader Ali Haider Gillani took pride in the fact that a PPP government had declared August 11 as the National Minorities Day in 2009. He said the PPP believes in equal rights to all citizens of the country without discrimination.