News
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Shahbaz Bhatti — champion of minorities’ rights
ISLAMABAD: Following is the profile of Federal Minister for Minorities Shahbaz Bhatti, who was assassinated on Wednesday morning.
Shahbaz Bhatti, son of Jacob Bhatti, was born on September 9, 1968, in Lahore, Punjab. Bhatti joined Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in 2002. He was elected Member of the National Assembly on a reserved seat for minorities on the ticket of PPP. He was made federal minister for minorities in 2008. Bhatti was again included in the federal cabinet with the same portfolio in January 2011.
He was one of the founding members of the All Pakistan Minorities Alliance (APMA) in 1985. He was chairman of the APMA, founder and president of the Christian Liberation Front, and the executive director of the Pakistan Council for Human Rights. Bhatti made history by becoming the first federal minister from the minorities. He also received the International Religious Freedom Award for rendering services for his community. He was the first ever Pakistani to receive this award.
He was unmarried and left behind four brothers and one sister. His father died last month in Faisalabad. As a federal minister, Bhatti took serious steps to ensure the safety and rights of and to empower religious minorities.
He launched a national campaign to promote interfaith harmony through seminars, awareness groups, and workshops. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk