National Day of Minorities, which is celebrated on the 11th of August every year, serves to highlight the contributions that our non-Muslim Pakistani citizens are making to the national development. This day we express our gratitude to our minority communities for their meritorious services for the uplift of the motherland. The day also reminds us of our constitutional, religious and political responsibility to protect their rights and freedoms. Islam is a religion of peace, harmony and tolerance. According to the Holy Quran, there is no compulsion in the matters of religion. This Quranic precept coupled with the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) provides a basis for the principle enunciated by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in his historic address to the nation on 11th August, 1948. The freedom of religion and sanctity of the person and property of our minorities have further been statutorily formalized in our constitution. The government stands committed to these obligations and officially celebrates the 11th of August to reiterate its resolve towards the achievement of the noble objective of building an inclusive society in line with the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam. The eradication of the causes and the mending of fault lines, which may lead to socio-religious exploitation, remain the corner stone of the government’s policies. The idea here is to enable and facilitate all segments of society, particularly our non-Muslim citizens, to take a full part in the national life. The government is making efforts to make up for socio-economic deficiencies and ensure a level playing field for our minorities by such means as allocation of special quota at representative fora, in educational institutions and services. Besides, dedicated financial support for the promotion and uplift of poorest segments of the minorities are also part of these measures. On the National Day of Minorities today, I would like to reaffirm the coalition government’s resolve for the betterment and welfare of our minorities and their fullest inclusion in the national life and development. I will also avail myself of this opportunity to call upon our brothers and sisters from all minority communities to keep playing their role for the promotion of an atmosphere of tolerance and mutual accommodation. This is the only course which leads to the achievement of our shared objective of promoting interfaith harmony and peace in our society. Pakistan belongs to its people without any discrimination of caste, creed, and colour.
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