Sindh Govt Installs CCTV Cameras At 253 Religious Sites Of Minorities

Chief Secretary (CS) of Sindh Syed Asif Hyder Shah and Chairman of the One-Man Commission on Minorities Rights, Dr. Shoaib Suddle, jointly chaired an important meeting at the Sindh Secretariat to review the ongoing initiatives for the protection of minorities' rights and their socio-economic uplift in the province

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2025) Chief Secretary (CS) of Sindh Syed Asif Hyder Shah and Chairman of the One-Man Commission on Minorities Rights, Dr. Shoaib Suddle, jointly chaired an important meeting at the Sindh Secretariat to review the ongoing initiatives for the protection of minorities' rights and their socio-economic uplift in the province.

The meeting was held on the directives of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and focused on assessing the performance of relevant departments in ensuring the protection of religious sites, properties, and constitutional rights of minority communities, said a communique issued here Thursday.

The meeting was attended by Commissioner Karachi Hassan Naqvi, Senior Member board of Revenue Baqaullah Unnar, Secretary Local Government Waseem Shamshad, Secretary Implementation and Coordination Abid Saleem Qureshi, Secretary Land Utilisation, officers from the Evacuee Trust Property Board, and other senior officials of the Sindh Government.

The Chief Secretary reiterated the provincial government’s commitment to the welfare and protection of minorities. He stated that the Sindh Government has taken robust steps for the socio-economic development of minority communities, including strict implementation of the reserved job quota for minorities in public sector employment. During the briefing, it was informed that the Sindh Government has so far installed CCTV cameras at 253 religious sites of minority communities across the province. This step has been taken to ensure security and prevent any untoward incidents at places of worship. The meeting also reviewed the implementation of directives related to the removal of illegal encroachments and unlawful occupation from properties and religious sites belonging to minority communities. It was emphasized that concerned departments must take prompt action against such violations and ensure restoration of minority rights.

Chairman One-Man Commission Dr. Shoaib Suddle appreciated the efforts of the Sindh Government and remarked that the province has shown significant dedication in promoting religious harmony, safeguarding the rights of minorities, and improving their overall welfare. He highlighted that the One-Man Commission was constituted in January 2019 following the orders of the Supreme Court, with a mandate to monitor the implementation of minority rights across the country. In a major decision, the meeting decided to establish a dedicated cell under the Secretary Implementation and Coordination, which will be responsible for tracking the performance of all relevant departments and Deputy Commissioners regarding issues faced by minority communities. This cell will act as a coordination and monitoring mechanism to ensure timely redressal of complaints and effective execution of government directives.

The Chief Secretary Sindh further directed all departments to ensure that private companies working in collaboration with the government follow the officially notified minimum wage structure. No violation in this regard would be tolerated.

In view of the hazardous duties performed by municipal sanitation workers, the Chief Secretary directed the Additional Chief Secretary Local Government to ensure the provision of complete safety kits to staff working on cleaning main holes and other risky tasks. This measure is aimed at protecting the lives and health of frontline municipal workers. In another significant directive, the Chief Secretary instructed all Deputy Commissioners to convene monthly meetings with delegations of minority communities to directly listen to their concerns and resolve them on priority.

Earlier, during the meeting, prayers were offered for the late mother of IGP Sindh, Ghulam Nabi Memon. Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah expressed heartfelt condolences to the IGP Sindh and prayed for the departed soul.