KARACHI, Sept 4: President Asif Ali Zardari has reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting the minorities and safeguarding their constitutional rights.

“No-one will be allowed to impose his agenda upon the minorities as it goes against the teachings of Islam and the fundamental principles of our Constitution,” he said while talking here on Tuesday to a parliamentary committee he had constituted last month to look into grievances of the Hindu community.

The president said discrimination against the minorities would not be allowed and they would get full protection of the law.

The committee comprising Senator Maula Bux Chandio, Senator Hariram Kishori Lal, MNA Lal Chand and Dr Khatumal Jeewan presented its report to the president.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was present on the occasion.

The president’s spokesman Senator Farhatullah Babar recalled that the President Zardari had asked the members of the committee to visit various districts of Sindh, meet members of the Hindu community and present a report on their grievances.

The president praised the preliminary report and said the minorities had every right to practise their faith freely and it was the responsibility of the government to create suitable environment to enable them to contribute their share in the nation-building process.

He recounted various measures taken for the minorities and said the PPP government was committed to protecting the rights of the minorities as equal citizens of the state.

He advised the committee to continue looking into the grievances of the minorities and reports of violation of their rights.

In case of any untoward incident affecting members of minority communities, PPP legislators should visit the area and try to redress their grievances, he said.

The president said the government was conscious of the concern of the minority communities about misuse of certain laws against them.

He expressed the hope that religious leaders, parliamentarians and members of civil society would deliberate on the issue and recommend measures to prevent misuse of laws against the minorities.

The committee informed the president about its visits and meetings with members of the Hindu community held thus far.

Senator Chandio said some Hindus had complained about kidnapping of their girls and their forcible conversion to Islam which had caused resentment and a sense of insecurity among them.

The committee proposed that in such incidents a case of abduction should be registered and it should be treated as a case of kidnapping until a girl made a statement before a court and it decided otherwise.