Documentary on minorities’ role in Pakistan Movement

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) on Monday announced it would make a documentary to highlight the contribution of minorities to the Pakistan movement.

APMA Chairman Shahbaz Bhatti said the role of minorities in the making of Pakistan should be recognised and included in textbooks. He said the government should build monuments to commemorate their contribution in the struggle for, and development of Pakistan.

He said the APMA celebrated August 11 as an important day in Pakistan’s history because Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah made a speech to Pakistan’s first constituent assembly on that day in 1947, which was chaired by a non-Muslim, Joginder Nath Mandal.

Mr Bhatti quoted Mr Jinnah’s speech, ‘’You are free to go to your mosques. You are free to go to your temples and other places of worship. You may belong to any religion, caste or creed. That has nothing to do with the state. We are all citizens—and equal citizens—of one state’’. He said Mr Jinnah’s speech should be included in the Constitution’s preamble.

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