Peshawar: The Chief Minister of Pakistan`s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Friday pledged to protect the rights of the minorities while acknowledging that their development had been neglected in the past.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak said minorities were an integral part of the national mainstream and their role in national development was commendable.
The Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is paying special attention to the welfare of minorities, Khattak said, adding that for this reason it has increased the quota reserved for minorities in government jobs from one to three per cent.
He made the remarks while meeting a delegation of the Kalash community of Chitral that called on him at the Chief Minister`s Secretariat here.
The delegation discussed matters related to the development of Kalash valley and the problems being faced by the minority community.
The delegation led by Member of the Provincial Assembly Sardar Soran Singh also included the district president of Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf.
Khattak said no attention was paid to welfare of minorities, including the Kalash community, in the past.
The community was totally neglected with regard to developmental schemes, he said.
Khattak assured the delegation that the provincial government would take all possible measures for the welfare of Kalash community and protect their rights while preserving and promoting their unique cultural heritage.
The delegation apprised the Chief Minister of the problems faced by the community.
The Chief Minister approved a special grant of Rs 20 million for various developmental activities, rehabilitation of irrigation channels in the Kalash valley and up-gradation of government middle school in Rumboor.
The Kalash people reside in the Chitral district of the province and speak the Kalasha language, from the Dardic family of the Indo-Aryan branch. They are considered a unique tribe among the Indo-Aryan peoples of Pakistan.
