Punjab govt committed to preserving minority heritage: Ramesh Singh Arora

LAHORE, Jul 20 (APP): Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said the Punjab government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, was committed to preserving, restoring and promoting the religious heritage of minority communities while ensuring the protection of minority rights and religious freedom.

He expressed these views while addressing the Mango Multicultural Mela in Brisbane, Australia, as the chief guest. The colourful event brought together members of the Pakistani diaspora, the Sikh community and people from diverse cultural backgrounds to celebrate multiculturalism, cultural heritage and unity, said a handout issued here on Monday.

The minister received a warm welcome from the Pakistani community and interacted with representatives of the Pakistani and Sikh communities, discussing ways to strengthen people-to-people contacts, cultural cooperation and interfaith harmony between Pakistan and Australia.

Addressing the gathering, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said protecting minority rights, ensuring religious freedom and safeguarding places of worship remained among the Punjab government’s foremost priorities. He added that Pakistan was committed to protecting the rights of minorities, upholding religious freedom and preserving its rich religious heritage, reflecting the country’s values of peaceful coexistence and inclusivity.

He invited overseas Pakistanis and members of the global Sikh community to visit Pakistan and undertake pilgrimages to its sacred religious sites, saying significant progress had been made in the restoration and conservation of historic gurdwaras and other places of worship to promote religious tourism and interfaith harmony.

The minister also praised the organisers of the Mango Multicultural Mela, including Nasir Taseer, Shoaib Hanif, Aslam Kahlo, Saad Malik, Shahid Chaudhry and Shehzad Aslam, for promoting Pakistani culture and strengthening unity among overseas Pakistanis.

He said such events served as an effective platform for enhancing cultural understanding, mutual respect and friendship among diverse communities while reinforcing longstanding people-to-people ties between Pakistan and Australia.

Expressing confidence that the festival would further strengthen cultural relations between the two countries, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said such initiatives projected Pakistan’s positive image internationally and promoted the country’s values of diversity, tolerance, peaceful coexistence and inclusive development.