Pak to review laws biased against minorities

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday said his government will review all laws that 'militate against' Pakistan's minority communities, weeks after gunmen shot dead two Christians accused of blasphemy outside a court in Punjab Province.

Besides creating a five per cent quota for minorities in government jobs and reserving four for them in the Senate or upper house of parliament, the government has "decided to review all laws that militate against minorities and the vulnerable sections of society," Zardari said in a message on the occasion of Pakistan's Minorities Day.

The murder of Rashid Emanuel and his brother Sajid outside a court at Faisalabad in Punjab province last month had triggered angry protests by members of the Christian community.

The brothers were reportedly killed by members of a banned religious group. The brothers were arrested some time ago after leaflets allegedly bearing their names and featuring derogatory remarks against the Prophet Mohammed were found in Faisalabad.

Christian leaders, including Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, had said the killings were an outcome of the misuse of the Blasphemy Law. In his message, Zardari said Minorities Day was an occasion to "recognise the important role played by the minorities in Pakistan in nation building, the sacrifices rendered by them, the problems and issues faced by member of minorities as well as to renew our commitment to protect their rights and to draw them fully in the mainstream of national life".

The Pakistan People's Party-led government is driven by the vision of Pakistan's founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who had laid the foundations of a modern, tolerant and progressive Pakistan "in which everyone will have equal rights regardless of creed and gender", he said.

PPP founder and former President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto drafted the constitution of 1973 that allowed minorities to freely profess and practice their religion and culture, Zardari said. Noting that Pakistan had been hit hard by terrorism and natural calamities like the unprecedented floods, Zardari called on people of all faiths to join hands to promote peace and harmony and to alleviate the sufferings of people affected by the deluge. In a separate message, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government was committed to preserving the rights of minorities.

"We recognize that our minorities are responsible and patriotic and are playing their due role in nation building. We will, therefore, never allow the miscreants to be successful in their ulterior motives," he said.