 The National Assembly's Standing Committee on the Interior on Saturday opposed the restoration of the religion column in the new passport. Malik Niaz Ahmad Jhakhar, acting chairman of the committee, told its meeting that the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal's (MMA's) "hue and cry" about the removal of the religion column from the passport was unjustified and the subsequent restoration of the column harmed the country's reputation abroad. He said that the government's decision to restore the religion column was needless, adding, "We have sent a wrong message abroad by doing so."
| The message I got was that the turbans are a lot more concerned with keeping the pot boiling than they are with matters of governance... |
MMA's Farid Ahmad Piracha said if there had been no religion's column, Qadiyanis might have visited Makkah unlawfully. Mr Jhakhar said that Qadiyanis were no a doubt a religious minority and this was mentioned in the 1973 Constitution. "Today, we have restored the religion column. Tomorrow, Shias, Barelvis and Deobandis may insist on including a column on sects. I feel the government is in the wrong," he added.
| I don't think they feel shame like we do... |
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