State’s responsibility to protect all religions: Shehryar Afridi

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi on Thursday said it was the state’s responsibility to protect and respect all religions and schools of thought.

Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Afridi said all religions and thoughts would be protected in ‘Naya Pakistan’.

“It is the state’s responsibility to protect, to respect, all places of worships, all religions, all thoughts. This is the attitude [that will prevail] in Naya Pakistan,” he said.

The minister emphasised that it was the Parliament’s responsibility to assess all attitudes and keep humanity above all considerations.

“[It’s only when] all of Pakistan is united that our external issues, national interests and key stakes will be protected,” he said.

Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to the nation following a Supreme Court verdict acquitting Asia Bibi, a Christian woman sentenced to death over blasphemy allegations, Afridi said the speech had a unified message.

“The message was: there will be no compromise on the rule of law,” he told the House. “Nobody needs a certificate from anyone. Nobody will dictate anyone in this country.”

The minister said there had been an attempt to form a state within a state on the name of religion. “We will not let anyone challenge the writ of the state in Naya Pakistan.”

Afridi lauded Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for standing behind Prime Minister Imran Khan at a time when unity is the need of the hour.

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“I laud Bilawal for not engaging in political point-scoring. [He made it clear] that there should be no compromise on the rule of law,” the minister remarked.

Addressing the National Assembly earlier today, Bilawal had commended Prime Minister Imran Khan for sending a strong message to the agitators that the rule of law would prevail.

"I do not share some of our opposition party members criticism of the prime minister’s speech," Bilawal said. 

The PPP chairman added that he wanted the prime minister to deliver a speech in Parliament along the lines of his address to the nation. "I wanted to say we are with you Imran Khan. We are with democracy, justice and the rule of law."