Fair-play: Wattoo pays tribute to slain minister

Wattoo said the PPP was always serving minorities.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Peoples Party Punjab (PPP) president Manzoor Wattoo on Tuesday paid tribute to former federal minister for minorities affairs Shahbaz Bhatti.

He was speaking on the occasion of Bhatti’s 46th birth anniversary. Wattoo said his efforts regarding the promotion of inter-faith harmony would stand the test of time.  Wattoo said he had espoused the cause till he was killed by religious extremists.  He said his assailants had managed to silence his voice but had failed to defeat his mission.

Wattoo highlighted his efforts to stop misuse of laws to dispossess minority citizens of their properties and settle personal scores.  He said the PPP had always strived to secure minorities’ rights. Wattoo said the party viewed them as part of its core-constituency.

He said the PPP government had taken several steps to integrate minorities in the national mainstream. Wattoo said Bhatti had devoted his life to uplifting minorities and the PPP had always supported his efforts. He said the last government had reserved five per cent of government jobs for minorities.

Wattoo said the party had taken several steps to ensure that the measure was implemented. He said the PPP had reserved four seats for minorities in the Senate.

He said the PPP had declared August 11 the Minorities’ Day.  Wattoo said it had taken this step in honour of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s August 11 speech.  He said it had decided to officially observe two religious festivals of every minority community. Wattoo said the last government had reserved prison-space for minority inmates to offer prayers.

Wattoo said the party had tried to introduce legislation to ensure minority representation in proportion to their population. He said the party was unable to complete the process after the 2013 general elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2014.