ISLAMABAD, Jan 14 (APP):Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noor-ul-Haq Qadri Monday informed the National Assembly that the government was taking various steps for the promotion of sectarian harmony in the country and due attention was being given to each school of thought.Responding to a question during the question hour, he said the National Ulema and Mashaikh Council had been constituted for the promotion of sectarian harmony. The Council had representation from all schools of thought and from all the provinces and the Capital.
The minister said the Council has been assigned the duty to promote religious harmony and to remove hate literature from the curriculum of the Madaris (religious seminaries).
Three committees, including Steering Committee, Curriculum Committee and Core Committee, had been
established to promote interfaith harmony, he added.
The Council, he said, had also proposed that Ulema boards should be established at the national and provincial levels to monitor hate literature and speech and to recommend legal action against such material as well as acts.
The Curriculum Committee, he said, "looks into the matters related to the curriculum of Madaris and submits its suggestions to the ministry for consideration and onward submission to the quarters concerned."
He said,"The Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony regularly arranges Seerat Conference on 12th Rabi-ul-Awwal every year wherein prominent Ulema, Mashaikh, scholars and people from all walks of life participate."
Work on a comprehensive programme of integration of contemporary and religious studies in Madaris had been initiated in consultation with Ministry of Education and Itihad Tanzimat Madaris Pakistan, he added.
Responding to another question the minister said the government had allocated Rs 41.42 million for the current financial year 2018-19 under the “Minority Welfare Fund”.
