By Amarnath R. (PHP Lahore)
Monday, January 31, 2011
The historical Conference was presided over by a renowned poet and intellectual Mr. Nazir Qaiser while Ms. Shakila Rashid Khanam, former Federal Minister, ambassador to the Norway and member of the Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Peoples Party and Chairman of NPCIH Allama Syed Ayaz Zahir Hashmi were the Chief Guests.Delegates representing different religions i.e Christians, Sikhs, Zorasters, Hindus, Bahai’s and Muslims participated from all the four provinces of Pakistan and abroad.
The speakers urged to launch a campaign at grass root level to reform the thinking and attitude of various segments of the society in a bid to promote peace and harmony between the majority and minority of the country.
They said minorities had played key role in creating Pakistan shoulder-to-shoulder with their Muslim brethren but it was astonishing that there was acknowledgement to these efforts at present and minorities suffer from discrimination and marginalisation.
They said that the persons who raised their voice for the minorities were silenced and it was high time to get united at a single platform to protect the rights of the minorities with the message of love, peace and tranquillity. The speakers while appreciating the role of the prime minister and president for carrying out efforts to promote interfaith dialogue, they stressed the need for further speeding up the process in order to counter the insane voices to bring complete peace in the country.
Alleging some groups without naming them for killing innocent people, they warned that it would be tantamount to set a dangerous trend if it was not stopped at this moment.
Syed Allama Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, PM’s advisor on National Committee for Peace and Harmony said that it was responsibility of Ulema, intellectuals and the media to support the concept of interfaith dialogue which opens doors for presenting the message of Islam to the non-Muslims communities. Allama also elaborated his plans to promote interfaith harmony through educated force from the universities and civil society.
Speaking on the occasion, NPCIH Chairman Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, the chief Guest said that PPP came to power at a difficult time but it is trying its best to pull the country out of present crisis under the sagious leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Allama also said, “ The address of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that he delivered in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 must be included as a part of the constitution of Pakistan and the biased Objective Resolution which was passed in 1949 must be excluded from the constitution. State affairs must be run according to the vision of its founder which provides equal opportunity to all Pakistanis without any distinction of religion, caste or creed. Pakistan must be run according to the vision of the father of the nation.
“On the behalf of the prime minister,I want to assure you of my government’s full support to the rights of all religious minorities in Pakistan” he added.
Monday, January 31, 2011
(Photo : International Minorities Conference III in Lahore, Pakistan)
Islamabad : International Minorities’ Conference 2011 was organized by International Minorities Alliance on “Equal Citizenship, Equal Rights” at Avari Hotel, Lahore, Pakistan on Jan 23, 2011.The historical Conference was presided over by a renowned poet and intellectual Mr. Nazir Qaiser while Ms. Shakila Rashid Khanam, former Federal Minister, ambassador to the Norway and member of the Central Executive Committee of Pakistan Peoples Party and Chairman of NPCIH Allama Syed Ayaz Zahir Hashmi were the Chief Guests.Delegates representing different religions i.e Christians, Sikhs, Zorasters, Hindus, Bahai’s and Muslims participated from all the four provinces of Pakistan and abroad.
Call to speed up Pakistan’s interfaith dialogue:
National Peace Committee for Interfaith Harmony(NPCIH) Chairman Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, Nazir Qaiser(Chairman International Minorities Alliance), Shakeela Khanum Rasheed(MNA, PPP) , The Bishop of Karachi Dr Ijaz Inayat, Dr Hizkiul Sarosh, Bishop Ibrahim Daniel, Dr. Badar Munir Saifi(President Ulma Mashaik Wing PPP,Lhr), Martan Javed Martan, Ilyas A Khan, Om Parkash Narayan, Dr. Mastaan Singh, Muhammad Safdar(General Secretary Liberal Forum,Lhr), Ilyas A Khan(President Pakistan Minorities Foundation)Raja Abbas(President Civil Society Organization), Rafiq Kazim Paseen(Sr Vice President PPP, Kot Radhakishan), Dr Manohar Chand( President Pakistan Balmik Sabha), Dr Maipal Singh and Dr Khalid Javed Jan expressed these views while addressing an international minority conference held under the auspices of International Minority Alliance at a local hotel on Sunday (January 23).The speakers urged to launch a campaign at grass root level to reform the thinking and attitude of various segments of the society in a bid to promote peace and harmony between the majority and minority of the country.
They said minorities had played key role in creating Pakistan shoulder-to-shoulder with their Muslim brethren but it was astonishing that there was acknowledgement to these efforts at present and minorities suffer from discrimination and marginalisation.
They said that the persons who raised their voice for the minorities were silenced and it was high time to get united at a single platform to protect the rights of the minorities with the message of love, peace and tranquillity. The speakers while appreciating the role of the prime minister and president for carrying out efforts to promote interfaith dialogue, they stressed the need for further speeding up the process in order to counter the insane voices to bring complete peace in the country.
Alleging some groups without naming them for killing innocent people, they warned that it would be tantamount to set a dangerous trend if it was not stopped at this moment.
Syed Allama Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, PM’s advisor on National Committee for Peace and Harmony said that it was responsibility of Ulema, intellectuals and the media to support the concept of interfaith dialogue which opens doors for presenting the message of Islam to the non-Muslims communities. Allama also elaborated his plans to promote interfaith harmony through educated force from the universities and civil society.
Speaking on the occasion, NPCIH Chairman Allama Syed Ayaz Zaheer Hashmi, the chief Guest said that PPP came to power at a difficult time but it is trying its best to pull the country out of present crisis under the sagious leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari.
Allama also said, “ The address of the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that he delivered in the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 must be included as a part of the constitution of Pakistan and the biased Objective Resolution which was passed in 1949 must be excluded from the constitution. State affairs must be run according to the vision of its founder which provides equal opportunity to all Pakistanis without any distinction of religion, caste or creed. Pakistan must be run according to the vision of the father of the nation.
“On the behalf of the prime minister,I want to assure you of my government’s full support to the rights of all religious minorities in Pakistan” he added.
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