Govt not to put minorities into danger: Shireen Mazari

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said that the government will tolerate making fun of minorities and attacks on their worship places, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Shireen Mazari, while speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, said that the present government was standing alongside with all minorities in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. She said that the government raised a strong voice against closure of mosques and ban on hijaab on the European Union (EU).

“How can we raise the voice of Muslims around the world when we will not protect minorities in our own country? We will not put our minorities into any danger. I will not comment over any issue regarding minorities that is being heard by the court. Our constitution has provided rights to minorities.”

The human rights’ minister criticised India for continuing atrocities against Kashmiris in occupied Jammu and Kashmir and also censured New Delhi for taking discriminatory decisions against all minorities.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Noorul Haq Qadri, also addressed the NA session. He said that minorities in Pakistan possess full independence.

Qadri said that the lawmakers from the minority community told authorities regarding a piece of land allotted for the construction of a temple. Qadri added that he told minority lawmakers that the ministry has funds for the repair work of their worship places. The lawmakers had asked him to forward their request to the prime minister, said Qadri.

The minister said that the government respects opinions of clerics and the authorities were waiting for a research-based conclusive response from them. He was pointing towards the issue of allocating funds for the construction of temple or gurdwara by using public funds.

Noorul Haq Qadri said that the government has not passed the map of the temple and forwarded the matter to Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).