Government will protect rights of every Pakistani. Pakistan is responsible for ensuring the protection of the rights of every citizen living in the country. Efforts are being made to prevent misuse of blasphemy law and human rights organizations and NGOs should come forward to play a useful role in encouragement of interfaith harmony.
Pakistan is always in coordination with human rights organizations and NGOs to invite them to find solutions to different issues through dialogue. Islam is the protector of the rights of minorities. Both Muslims and non-Muslims population together played strategic role in the struggle for making Pakistan.
Forced marriages of underage girls are against Islamic teachings. There is the honour and status bestowed on women by holy prophet Muhammad (SAW) is incomparable anywhere. The minorities living in Pakistan need not be frightened and the state will stop those who try to harm the minorities. The Interfaith Harmony Councils are being organized at the level of union councils. At the direction of the prime minister, the Ministry of Human Rights is working to ameliorate the situation.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has emphasized protection and grace of all heavenly religions and Holy Bible. Killing of any non-Muslim or damaging their property has nothing to do with Islam. People involved in terrorism and extremism in the name of Islam are not doing any service to Islam. The government has made the right decision and the formation of new boards of Madrasas as will improve the quality of education. More boards will also be established.
There is no idea of forced marriage and forced conversion in Islam, and it is the responsibility of the state to protect the rights of religious minorities. Religious minorities should not live in fear in Pakistan as they were protected by the state. Inter-faith harmony councils were being established up to the union council level across the country. Women and girls play a strategic role in betterment process. Both Muslims and non-Muslims had played a pivotal role in the struggle for creation of Pakistan. It was part of their faith that every prophet had spread the message of peace and inter-faith harmony. Efforts are being made to halt misapplication of blasphemy law, and the human rights organizations and NGOs are requested to come and play a clear and frank role in encouragement of inter-faith harmony.
Specific civil society organizations in Pakistan raises the problems related to faith-based tyranny and advanced abroad and feature such issues but they should record a complaint here with the Ministry of Human Rights or any proper official meeting, so that quick action may be taken. The constitution of Pakistan provides equal rights to non-Muslims. The idea of forced marriage and forceful conversion to Islam is against Islamic teachings. Terrorists and extremists were neither serving Islam nor were friends of Islam. Killing of a non-Muslim or destroying their property had nothing to do with Islam. More seminary education boards will be established in cooperation with the education ministry to improve the madrassah education system.
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The government had adopted rights-based approach to protect the rights given in the Constitution. Women and minorities were the most exploited sections of society and their rights must be safeguarded. Pakistan was among those countries that had provided personal laws to religious minorities. Pakistan has Hindu Marriage Act and is preparing Christian Marriage and Divorced Bill by consulting the stakeholders. There are some issues which will be tackled.
Interfaith harmony is a device bringing peace and serenity among people by confidence. There is better relationship among people of different religious beliefs at the separate and established level which predicts a satisfactory picture in the organization of nations. Interfaith harmony promotes the precept to live and lets others live peacefully. World Interfaith Harmony Week is an annual event observed during the first week of February. World Interfaith Harmony Week, introduces to encourage peace and non-violence, was first put forward by King Abdullah II of Jordan at the United Nations in 2010.
Acknowledging the necessary for dialogue among faiths and religions to accelerate cooperative understanding, peace and cooperation among people, the General Assembly encourages all States to the message of interfaith peace and goodwill in all the religious places like churches, mosques, synagogues, and other places of worship during that week, freely and according to their religious practice or view.
The World Interfaith Harmony Week facilitates a stage at minimum one week in a year when all interfaith groups and other groups of goodwill can show the world what powerful movements there are. The week permit for these groups to become conscious of each other and advance the movement by establishing ties. The flag of Pakistan indicates the existence and significance of minorities of the state.
The 1973 Constitution of Pakistan protects the minorities’ rights to live in the state freely. Previous attacks on holy places of non-Muslims were broadcast on international media that Pakistan is not a secure country for non-Muslims. It should be remembered that these terrorist attacks not only harmed the holy sites of non-Muslims but also the holy sites of Muslims also. Article-20 of the Constitution of Pakistan provides equal and just rights to minorities for religious practices.
The true message of interfaith harmony is the requirement to spread to deal with sensitive problems like sectarianism. It is the responsibility of the government as well as every citizen especially of parents, teachers, religious scholars and political leaders to play their effective part in promoting interfaith harmony in Pakistan.
