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KARACHI, Apr 17 (APP): Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousuf on Thursday said that the National Minorities Commission is being formed, which is currently in the final stages and will be formed soon.
He was speaking as the chief guest at the Interfaith Harmony Conference, on “Interfaith Harmony : Need of the modern era”, at a hotel here.
He said that the National Interfaith Harmony Policy, aims to promote inter-faith harmony, has also been approved while instructions have been issued to all provinces for its implementation.
The minister said that the government has taken some steps, such as approval of the Strategy for Religious Tolerance so that culture of tolerance can be promoted in the country.
He said that the objective of today’s conference is to promote interfaith harmony in the country. Every year, the ministry organizes such conferences in different provinces, as was held in Lahore on the 13th and today in Karachi, he added.
He said that financial assistance is also provided to deserving non-Muslims and their families by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Scholarships are also issued for non-Muslim students every year, so that non-Muslim students can continue their educational journey, he said.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs provides financial assistance to non-Muslims for the repair, renovation and beautification of their places of worship and for the purchase of health and education-related items.
The Federal Minister for Religious Affairs said that non-Muslim festivals are also celebrated at the official level. Interfaith Harmony Conferences are being organized in all four provinces of Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir, which is now happening here in Karachi.
He said that the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony provide opportunities to followers of all religions to meet so that everyone can listen to each other, express their position and establish an atmosphere of harmony.
Earlier, between 2013 and 2018, when he was given this ministry, he tried to work on interfaith harmony, he recalled.
He expressed pleasure on the way the conference is being held today, and said he is happy that all the speakers expressed their views as a Pakistani and everything that has been discussed here has been positive.
The minister said that everyone gave their suggestions so that an atmosphere of consensus and unity can be established in the country.
The suggestions that have been presented here today are now the responsibility of our ministry to consider their implementation. The speakers are representing their respective religions and everyone expressed their own views, he said.
He said that recently, there was a Baisakhi festival in Pakistan in which Sikh pilgrims from all over the world came to Pakistan. They were welcomed and arrangements were made for them. Our agreement was that only three thousand Sikh pilgrims can come, but this time when they requested that we be given more visas, the government showed generosity and, respecting religious sentiments, more than seven thousand visas were issued, he said.
He said that ample arrangements were made for Sikh pilgrims in Nankana Sahib, in Kartarpur, in Panja Sahib, excellent arrangements were also made and their facilities were taken care of and it is a matter of happiness for us that Sikh pilgrims come to Pakistan to their holy places and they feel happy coming here. We took care of all their facilities, which made us and our government very happy, he said.
Sardar Yousuf said that in today’s event, a total of 11 speakers belonging to different religions expressed their views as Pakistanis and the main purpose of this conference is that all the people belonging to different religions living here, regardless of their religion, are first human beings and then Pakistanis and the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees the protection of their rights.
In the same way, our scholars have stated that the rights of all minorities have been guaranteed in the teachings of our Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him). The meaning of the Hadith is that the killing of one person is the killing of the entire humanity. Today, we certainly regret that the injustice and atrocities that occur anywhere in the world are a great injustice to humanity, he said.
He said that with the efforts of the ministry, not only a five percent quota for minorities in jobs at the federal, but also the provincial governments have allocated five percent quotas for minority communities in provincial jobs in proportion to population and this is also being implemented.
Earlier, Patron-in-chief of Pakistan Sikh Council Sardar Ramesh Singh, ex-chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Muneeb -ur-Rehman, Famous scholar, Mufti Muhammad Yousuf Qasoori, representative of Christian community Bishop Fredric John, scholar Mufti Abu Bakar Mohiuddin, Mufti Muhammad Rafiq and other notables also spoke.