President Zardari said the govt will not allow the blasphemy law to be used for settling personal scores. -Reuters File Photo

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday said that the government will not allow anyone to misuse the blasphemy law against any one for settling personal and political scores.

"The government will take all appropriate measures whether administrative, procedural or legislative to stop growing incidents of misuse of the blasphemy law," he said.

The President was talking to a delegation comprising MNAs of minorities led by Shahbaz Bhatti, Federal Minister for Minorities, that called on him here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

The President said that “our faith Islam teaches us deep respect for rights of all human beings”, adding, it upholds the eternal values of equal rights, social justice and peace and also banishes discrimination on the basis of class, colour or creed.

Briefing journalists about the meeting, Spokesperson to the President Farhatullah Babar said that the President hailed the role being played by the minorities in the socio-economic development of Pakistan.

The President said that increasing job quotas, greater representation in the representative forum and allocating more development funds are some of the steps taken by the Government for the welfare of minority communities in the country and reiterated that the Government was keen to incorporate minorities into the mainstream and safeguard their Constitutional rights.

He said that any discrimination on the basis of one's faith was not acceptable and the PPP had committed in its manifesto that it will not allow such discrimination.

The delegation thanked the President for meeting and appreciated the efforts of the PPP led Government for the welfare of minorities in the country.

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