ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb has said that members of the Christian community were proud and praiseworthy citizens of Pakistan.
She said that Islam enjoined its followers to respect other religions and their rites. She said that love, devotion and respect for Christ was one of the fundamental precepts of the Islamic faith. She said that the attachment of Muslims with Christ was part of the faith of every Muslim which dictated a relationship of respect with the Christian community.
She said that the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a radiant example of his good treatment of the minorities. She said that the constitution of Pakistan also conferred equal rights on the minorities as citizens of Pakistan. She said that Christians were a respectable minority for every Pakistani as enshrined in the vision of Quaid-e-Azam.
The state minister said that the former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had taken exemplary steps for the protection of the rights of the minorities. She said that the government firmly believed in the participation of the Christian community in the process of decision-making and mainstreaming them in the efforts for the country’s development.
Marriyum said that the Christian community had made historic contribution in the achievement of Pakistan, strengthening its defence and the process of its development. She said that they had shed their blood for defending Pakistan. She said that the minorities had also made unforgettable sacrifices in the war against terrorism.
She said that the people of Pakistan paid tributes to all those members of Christian community who lost their lives in incidents of terrorism, particularly in an attack on a church in Quetta. She said that the minorities were rendering praiseworthy services for the construction and development of the country and in reinforcing national solidarity.