US reaffirms support for Sindh govt to protect minorities

United States acting consul general Jimmy Mauldin called on Sindh caretaker home minister Brigadier (retd) Haris Nawaz at the latter’s office on Thursday, discussing matters of mutual interest, a statement by the provincial government said.

Mauldin was accompanied by Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain and other senior officials of the US government. Nawaz was assisted by the province’s home secretary Muhammad Iqbal Memon in the meeting.

The minister briefed the delegation on the achievements of the caretaker government, saying that the situation of internal security and protection of minorities’ rights had improved across Sindh.

The meeting also discussed the quota reserved for minorities in government jobs, the issues of forced conversions and blasphemy incidents, the statement added.“A special police force consisting of 4,000 security personnel has been established in Sindh to ensure foolproof security arrangements for the minorities’ places of worship across the province”, the minister said, adding that these places were also being surveilled through CCTV cameras. The delegation reaffirmed the support of the US government for the Sindh government in ensuring protection of minorities and promoting peace, the statement read.