Pledge made for peaceful coexistence among religions

MARDAN: Islam doesn’t teach hatred but it preaches love and tolerance, this is why Pakistan offers freedom to followers of all religions.

These views were expressed by office-bearers of Pakistan Council of World Religions-Faith Friends, including Bishop Murad Mushtaq, Rajish Kumar, Tabak Raj, Hans Raj, Ravi Parkash, Mohammad Nauman Khan, Mohammad Iftikhar, and Baljiet Doghal while addressing a news conference at Mardan Press Club.

The speakers said that Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah had stated in his August 1947 speech that everyone in Pakistan would have religious freedom.

They said that Pakistan is a bouquet of different religions in which Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Ismailis and others live. However, they said that some unpleasant incidents have taken place in a few places in the country recently, such as the attack on Hazara community in Quetta and temple incident in Karak, which the whole nation mourned.

“Pakistan is our homeland and followers of all religions have to observe peaceful coexistence,” he added.

At the end, the participants jointly prayed for the prosperity and peace of Pakistan and for the elimination of the coronavirus pandemic.