QUETTA, Jan 02 (APP):Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Aneeq Ahmed, stressed on Tuesday stressed the need for collective efforts to promote peace and interfaith harmony in the country.

Speaking in a seminar organized by BRSP in collaboration with PPAF, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Aneeq Ahmed, Caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Balochistan Mir Zubair Jamali, and Balochistan Minister for Education Qadir Bakhsh Baloch underscored the significance of religious scholars, federal and provincial governments, civil society, and media in advancing peace, interfaith, and social harmony in Balochistan.

The Federal Minister said a sum of Rs 100,000 reduction has been made in this year’s Hajj package. The Ministry has also developed a mobile application to assist pilgrims throughout their Hajj journey and stay in Saudi Arabia, along with the provision of complimentary mobile SIMs for Hajjaj.

Aneeq Ahmed stated that the Ministry will provide Abayas with the Pakistani flag embossed for female pilgrims this year. He emphasized the government’s tangible efforts to foster interfaith harmony, highlighting the pressing need for dialogue among religions and civilizations to establish peace.

The Minister emphasized that a disposition of tolerance and respect is a fundamental aspect of Islamic teachings. Aneeq Ahmed expressed that the seminar with religious scholars from diverse faiths aims to fortify and integrate religious harmony, fostering unity in the country’s development efforts.

The Federal Minister said that the religion of Islam teaches interfaith harmony, and the current situation demands that dialogues between religions and civilizations be held to establish peace in the world.

He added that Islam’s’shilosophy is profoundly pragmatic and transparent, aiming to facilitate dialogue among various religions. He emphasized the crucial importance of comprehending contradictions for the establishment of a peaceful society.

The federal minister said that the commonalities of religions can be taken forward by understanding the differences; the world needs the golden principles given by Islam to create a peaceful society. He said that Pakistan is a region in the world where people of all religions are enjoying full religious freedom, and all the minorities living in Pakistan are playing a role side by side in the development of the country.

He said that the majority in Pakistan are Muslims, and it is their responsibility to take care of the minorities, while the minorities also must bring a good name to the country and not listen to any rumors. He said that Muhammad (PBUH) established a state of Madinah in which the people of the three main religions lived and where peace, security, and mutual respect prevailed.

Provincial Secretary for Minority Affairs Dawood Khan Bazai, Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, Air, Vice Marshal (retd) Ejaz Mahmood Malik, Director General (DG) of Khana-e Farhang Iran, Dr Abul Hasan Meri, and Acting Chief of PPAF Nadir Gul Barech, Chairman Board of Directors of BRSP Anwar Salim Kasi, Chief Executive Officer of BRSP Dr. Tahir Rashid, government officials, social workers, and prominent scholars from different religions and schools of thought were present in the seminar.

Addressing the seminar, Balochistan Caretaker Minister for Home and Tribal Affairs Zubair Jamali said that religious harmony is indispensable and that we need to work together to establish peace and interfaith harmony. He said that it is our responsibility to take care of people of all religions.

Mir Zubair Jamali further said that promoting interfaith harmony is the most important need of the hour, as respecting each other’s faiths and religious beliefs paves the way for tolerance in society.

Zubair Jamali said that there should be an atmosphere of mutual respect between different religions. He further said that all Pakistanis should unite without discrimination and play their role in establishing peace and order in the country and promoting brotherhood. Maulana Anwar Haqqani asserted that safeguarding the rights of all individuals without bias or discrimination is the primary responsibility of the government.