EGN NEWS DESK
Christian politician Anthony Naveed has achieved a significant political milestone after he was elected as the primary Christian Deputy Speaker of the Sindh Provincial Assembly final Sunday.
Naveed, who’s the one Christian chosen on a reserved seat for minorities within the Sindh Provincial Assembly by the progressive Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) after the Feb. 8 common election, bagged 111 votes out of 147 votes forged. His opponent, Advocate Rashid Khan of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, clinched 36 votes.
Born right into a modest Catholic household in Karachi, 53-year-old Naveed obtained an engineering diploma in garment expertise from the Pakistan Swedish Institute of Technology. Throughout his profession, Naveed has been actively engaged in group service, serving as vice chairman of the Karachi Christian Boys Association and representing the Catholic Youth Commission of Pakistan on the World Youth Day in Toronto in 2002.
He has additionally labored with the Pakistan Christian Congress specializing in academic initiatives and profession counseling for the youth in his group. Despite going through private challenges and discrimination, Naveed has remained rooted in Karachi’s Akhtar Colony, the place he was born, received married, and raised his youngsters. His dedication to his group and identification shines by way of, emphasizing his dedication to representing and residing among the many individuals he serves.
Naveed’s political journey started in 2005 when the PPP gave him a ticket in Karachi’s native authorities election. He contested as a vice-chairman from his native Akhtar Colony. He went on to change into a particular assistant to the Sindh chief minister in 2016. In 2018, the PPP selected him as a reserved seat candidate within the Sindh Assembly the place he was the lone Christian legislator.
“I’m grateful to the PPP management, particularly [party chief] Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, for nominating me for this coveted place,” Naveed informed Christian Daily International on the cellphone from Karachi.
“The PPP is the one political party that’s taking concrete steps to guard the rights of all minorities, together with the Christian group, and empowering them socially, politically and economically,” he stated.
As the custodian of the home, Naveed stated he would strive his greatest to make use of this chance to foyer the assist of the bulk lawmakers to deal with the challenges going through the spiritual minorities of the province.
Lauding the PPP’s choice to appoint and elect Naveed, Christian rights activists stated this could assist in assuaging the sense of deprivation within the marginalized group.
“It’s good to see Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari fulfilling his promise of giving spiritual minorities an equal alternative to develop within the socio-political sphere. By nominating Anthony Naveed, the PPP has lived as much as the expectations of the minority communities and we hope that the opposite mainstream political events will observe its instance,” stated Minorities Alliance Pakistan Chairman Akmal Bhatti.
Rights activist Napolean Qayyum additionally welcomed Naveed’s election and stated this had paved the way in which for the political mainstreaming of the Christian group.
“We hope that every one political events would additionally contemplate giving tickets to their Christian members for contesting the election on common seats in constituencies the place we now have a sizeable vote financial institution. Christian legislators will probably be in a greater place to resolve the issues going through their communities as a result of they perceive the problems significantly better than their Muslim counterparts,” he stated.
© Christian Daily International
