Promotion of interfaith harmony govt’s top priority: Masood

F.P. Report

WASHINGTON : Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Masood Khan has said promotion of interfaith harmony is the top priority of the government.

Talking to a delegation of All Neighbors, an organization working on interfaith harmony in Washington DC,  he pointed out that the protection of the rights of minorities is not only enshrined in the constitution and laws of Pakistan but the Pakistani nation is also united and committed to this goal.

 He said inter-faith harmony and religious tolerance is a characteristic of Pakistani society.

The Ambassador highlighted that the response from Pakistani political, religious and other leadership after the Jaranwala incident reflects the country’s social values regarding interfaith harmony.

Providing a briefing on his recent visit to Pakistan, Director of All Neighbors Ilyas Masih informed the Ambassador about the progress made in the reconstruction of the church affected by the Jaranwala incident.

He expressed appreciation for the solidarity shown by the Pakistani nation toward its Christian community after the incident. He also commended the efforts of the Government of Pakistan and other stakeholders in the reconstruction of the affected church and property.

The delegation informed the Ambassador that All Neighbors is working on a plan to organize a high-level conference on religious freedom in Pakistan in April this year. The conference aims not only to promote inter-religious harmony but also to present the true image of Pakistani society to the international community.

Welcoming the initiative of All Neighbors to organize a conference on religious freedom, Ambassador Masood Khan assured all possible support from the embassy.

He emphasized that Pakistan is a peace-loving society where the majority of the population holds moderate views on different religious values and discourages extremist thinking found in any corner of the world

The Ambassador stressed the need to highlight commonalities in different religions regarding human values and to work together to promote religious tolerance.