Ijaz Alam Augustine, Punjab minister of human rights, minority affairs and interfaith harmony has expressed that their campaign to curb hate mongering and stigmatizing different groups for allegedly spreading COVID 19 in the country has been appreciated at a large scale.
The said media campaign was launched by the ministry with the support of Youth Development Foundation (YDF) – an organisation working on peace of faith and harmony – and comprised messages of peace from religious scholars from different sects and religions. The campaign executed by YDF and the ministry covered Lahore, Okara, Multan, DG Khan and Bahawalpur.
The minister said that he had presented spotlight report of this campaign titled “A Campaign to Counter Hate and Discrimination during Covid-19” to the Honourable Chief Minister of Punjab, Sardar Usman Buzdar.
He said the CM appreciated the campaign and said that he had himself seen billboards, banners and streamers carrying the messages that discouraged blame game regarding spread of COVID 19 in the campaign. The CM also ensured his full support to the YDF and the human rights ministry in its upcoming work for this noble cause.
The YDF team collaborated with the ministry and recorded messages of religious leaders from different sects and religions and other notables. These messages were aired on TV channels, Radio channels, Cable Television networks, says Shahid Rehmat, Executive Director, YDF.
Those interviewed for messages include Allama Raghib Naeemi, Allama Tahir Ashrafi, Allama Muhammad Akbar Hussain, Allama Abdul Khabir Azad, Bishop Sebastian Shaw, Ali Akbar Natiq and others.
