Speakers at a conference here on Thursday stressed the need to implement Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative in true letter and spirit in order to promote inter-sect and interfaith harmony and peace and tolerance which will in turn help build an inclusive Islamic society in Pakistan.
The ‘Paigham-i-Pakistan Aman Conference’ was organized here at a local hotel to mark first anniversary of the launch of the national counter-terrorism narrative.
Badshahi Mosque Khateeb and Interfaith Council for Peace and Harmony Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad presided over the ceremony. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri and State Minister for Interior Shehryar Afridi were guests of honour on the occasion.
Pir Naqeebur Rehman, Mufti Mubashar Nizami, Pir Alhaaj Bostan, Allama Zubair Ahmed, Bishop Sarfraz Peter, Sardar Janam Singh, Father James Chanan and Pandat Laal Chand attended the ceremony besides a large number of other religious scholars belonging to various schools of thought, intellectuals, civil society members and Christian, Sikh and Hindu religious leaders.
Speaking on the occasion, Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri said Pakistan can be made strong and prosperous only through unity and brotherhood. He said all religions and sects should stand together to foil the nefarious designs of enemies.
Speaking on the occasion, State Minister for Interior Shehryar Afridi said ulema’s role in countering the negative elements and promoting peace, unity, tolerance and harmony in the country is appreciable. He also congratulated the organizers on holding a productive and useful event that will help disseminate the message of peace across all divides.
Other speakers unanimously stressed the need to review country’s educational policy, ensuring training of teachers and Ulema to encourage a culture of respecting other sects and religions as well as their sacred places. They said divisions in the society, hatred and arrogant behaviours of individuals and prioritizing sects over the religion were some major causes that needed urgent attention.
said members of minorities, including Hindu, Sikh, Christian and others, were as patriotic Pakistanis as anyone else and that all Pakistanis should stand united and make concerted efforts for progress and development of the country.
The conference organized as part of the Paigham-e-Pakistan initiative of the government of Pakistan called for promoting religious harmony, tolerance, brotherhood and equality, respect for humanity, non-violence, unity, reconciliation and a culture of dialogue in the society in order to counter extremism and terrorism and promote peace and stability. called for understanding the commonalities of different sects and religions to disseminate the concept of an inclusive Islamic society in Pakistan.
The speakers maintained that such events were an effective way to bring people from different sects, religions and cultures together as well as bridge the gaps between different sects and religions. Underlining that promoting inter-sect and interfaith harmony was indeed a service to the humanity, they also called for launching concerted efforts to heal the fractured relations between different sects and religions in Pakistan.
Published in Daily Times, January 25th 2019.
