24 May 2004	Monday	04 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

ISLAMABAD, May 23: The All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) chairman, Shahbaz Bhatti, has felicitated Dr Manmohan Singh on becoming Prime Minister of India and hoped that the Congress government will make positive and leading role for the protection of minority rights and religious freedom in India.

In a letter to Dr Singh, the APMA chief expressed concern over the incidents of communal violence in which many innocent people had been killed, tortured and victimized.

He stressed that the new Indian prime minister should ensure protection of the minorities rights in his country. Concrete steps are direly needed so that minorities could practice their religious rituals and traditions freely and without any fear, he added.

Mr Bhatti also urged the new Indian prime minister to encourage the state governments to establish vigilance committee at the local level to monitor and report on the incidents of violence.

He said better ties between two nuclear states will not only herald prosperity and development for people of two countries but also significantly contribute to the regional as well as global peace.