President, PM call for tolerance, harmony

ISLAMABAD: People should maintain peace and keep a watch-out for those who want to disrupt sectarian harmony, President Asif Ali Zardari said in his message on Youm-e-Ashur.
Imam Hussain’s (as) lesson of enduring hardships and embracing martyrdom in face of tyranny and oppression instead of accepting defeat should be taken as guidance, he said, adding that “falsehood must be resisted at all costs.”
“Terrorism is tyranny and militants are killing innocents,” he said, adding that Pakistanis should resist terrorism by remaining united.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, in his message to the nation on Friday, urged people to display religious tolerance to ensure harmony and peace on Youm-e-Ashur. He said, “Let us pledge to walk on the path of the martyrs of Karbala and to offer all sacrifices to uphold Islamic values.”
He added that Youm-e-Ashur was the day on which lives were sacrificed but Islamic principles were not compromised. Imam Hussain (as) accepted martyrdom but did not bow before evil, Gilani said, adding that the example set in Karbala is a guidance for all mankind.
Pakistanis need to adopt the way taken by Hussain (as) by selecting peace over terrorism, he added.
Mandarin, another
dimension of Sino-Pak ties: Pakistan can strengthen its ties with China by providing students with opportunities to learn Mandarin, the national language of China, experts say, adding that it is impossible to penetrate the Chinese economy without knowing Mandarin. Mandarin is being taught at National University of Modern Languages (NUML) but there is a growing need to introduce it in other institutions. The “Confucius Institute” was established in NUML under an agreement between NUML and China’s National Office for Teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language (NOTCFL).
It aims to promote the Chinese culture by teaching different dialects of the language. Around 400 students are currently enrolled in the institute.
The Indian government has added an introductory course in Mandarin to syllabi from grade 6 onwards and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was greeted in Mandarin when he visited Tagore International School in India.