Civil society officials meet Sindh assembly deputy speaker

LAHORE: A delegation of civil society organisations on Saturday met with Anthony Naveed, Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker at the National Commission for Justice and Peace office in provincial capital.

The delegation congratulated Anthony on his appointment as deputy speaker and wished him success in his future endeavours. Considering Anthony's position in the party and the power structure, the delegation made several recommendations including providing relief to prisoners belonging to religious minorities in Sindh by allowing them to reduce their sentences equivalent to memorising the Holy Quran, fulfilling the commitment made by President Asif Ali Zardari to form a working group on the misuse of blasphemy laws, while on the other hand adopting an interfaith harmony policy in Sindh, auditing the funds allocated for the welfare of religious minorities, and addressing the criminalisation of forced conversions and legislation on family laws for the Christian community.

Anthony assured the delegation of his total support and asked for their assistance in providing relevant information and necessary documentation on the issues concerning the community.

He emphasised the need to create harmony among parliamentarians belonging to religious minorities across the country and announced plans to initiate the first-ever minority parliamentarians' caucus in the country, aimed at resolving issues and working for the betterment of the community.

He appreciated the efforts of civil society and expressed his commitment to continuing partnerships at all possible levels.