October 24, 2002	Thursday	Sha’aban 17,1423

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ISLAMABAD, Oct 23: Former premier and Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Benazir Bhutto has said that after coming into power her party would do away with all kinds of discrimination and prejudices against the religious minorities.

She stated this during a telephonic conversation with the chairman of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance, Shahbaz Bhatti.

Mr Bhatti quoted the PPP chairperson as saying that her party had always considered the minorities as equal citizens of Pakistan and being an important component of the nation they should play their due role for the prosperity of the country.

He said that Ms Bhutto remarked that the PPP would promote religion tolerance and promised to give minorities their due status in the country.

The minorities’ leader said that Ms Bhutto asserted that the restoration of democracy, supremacy of the parliament, protection of minorities and women rights, prosperity of poor masses were the factors which form the basis of true democracy and “we are striving to achieve these objectives”.

He added that the PPP leader was firm in saying that the MPs- elect of the PPP would take oath only under the 1973 Constitution because “we do not believe in the Legal Framework Order”.

Mr Bhatti said that the former prime minister claimed that she would soon return to the country, but at an appropriate time.

The minorities’ leader quoted her as having said: “We have always opposed the dictatorial, fascist, undemocratic and unconstitutional designs of the military rulers and we have never compromised on our principles and ideology.”