By Our Correpondent
LAHORE: A prestigious Interfaith Harmony Conference was held in Lahore, attended by prominent religious leaders, government ministers, and social figures from across the country.
The aim of the conference was to promote religious harmony, tolerance, and national unity. While addressing the conference, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, stated that Pakistan guarantees equal rights for followers of all religions. He emphasized the government’s firm commitment to fostering interfaith harmony and stressed the importance of holding such events nationwide to promote peace and unity. He urged all sectors to work collectively for this cause.
Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, highlighted that religious minorities are a proud asset of Pakistan. He stated that it is our shared responsibility to build a society where respect and love prevail instead of hate. He added that the Punjab government is actively implementing initiatives to ensure peace and harmony in society and eliminate religious animosity. He stressed that the protection of religious minorities is the top priority of the Punjab government and reaffirmed that Pakistan’s policy is to safeguard all places of worship. Speaking out against global injustices, Arora questioned the silence on the atrocities in Palestine, saying:
“Why is no one questioning the brutalities in Palestine? Humanity is suffering in Gaza, and we must all raise a collective voice for global peace.” Other speakers at the conference included Minister of State for Religious Affairs, Khalil Das Kohistani, Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, Shia scholar Allama Dr. Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Christian representative Dr. James Chaman, Baháʼí community representative Dr. Faramar Roshni, Islamic scholar Allama Zubair Ahmad Zaheer, and Hindu representative Pandit Bhagat Lal.
All speakers emphasized that every religion promotes peace, love, and humanity, and these values must be practiced actively in our society. Speakers collectively pledged to continue their efforts at all levels for promoting religious tolerance, national unity, and peace.
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