LAHORE: Former federal minister for religious minorities Shahbaz Bhatti will always be remembered for his selfless struggle for the equal rights of all citizens of Pakistan, a senior church leader has said.
In a statement on the 10th anniversary of the martyrdom of Bhatti, the first Christian federal minister for minorities, National Council of Churches in Pakistan President Bishop Azad Marshall said that the former minister stood for the vision of Pakistan’s founding father, Quaid-e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, that all Pakistani citizens will enjoy equal rights, irrespective of caste, creed, colour or gender.
“Shahbaz Bhatti was a fearless leader. He had received death threats and to those who advised him to emigrate, he said: ‘I am a disciple of Christ, I will never abandon my country and my people,’” said the senior church leader.
“As a federal minister, Bhatti was always working for his people. His achievements include a 5 percent increase in quota for minorities in government jobs, the first minority seats in the Senate, and a 24-hour minorities helpline,” he said, adding that Bhatti also launched a network of district interfaith harmony committees to encourage dialogue and unite communities.
Marshall said that Shahbaz Bhatti believed in stopping the abuse of religion as a divisive force and encouraged cooperation between neighbors of different backgrounds and opinions by ushering in interfaith harmony.
“At this juncture of our history when intolerance and extremism are gradually taking over our society, all Pakistanis will have to rise and raise our voices to counter those who are bent upon destroying Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of a tolerant, progressive, liberal, and egalitarian Pakistan,” he said.
He added that it was time to make a resolve that the work Shahbaz Bhatti had started won’t be abandoned. “We must also hope that it will become possible for the other brave voices to step forward; for there are undoubtedly many already working diligently to improve the plight of their less privileged countrymen,” he concluded.
