LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the government was following the golden principles of Islam including that of inter-religious harmony and tolerance.
He stated this during a meeting with spiritual leader of Sikh Community and Nishkan Group Chairman Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia who called on him at his office in Lahore. During the meeting, a bilateral discussion was held with regard to celebrations on the 550th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Devji. The chief minister assured full cooperation of the Punjab government with regard to the celebrations and said that full protection of constitutional rights of the minority communities including Sikhs has been ensured in Pakistan.
“Historic steps have been taken for the wellbeing and prosperity of the Sikh community living in Punjab,” he said and added that all possible steps were being taken for the maintenance, protection and up-keeping of the Sikh Gurudwaras and other religious places of all the minority communities.
“In fact, protection of fundamental rights of the minority communities along with the protection of their life and property is part of the government’s priorities. It is sanguine that Sikhs, as well as all the religious minorities, enjoy complete religious freedom along with constitutional rights. It is a governmental policy to ensure the protection and provision of different facilities to the Sikh community and other religious minorities for performing their religious rituals. Along with it, implementation of the minority quota in public sector recruitments is also being ensured and we feel proud to serve the Sikh brethren,” he added.
Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia said that they are thankful to the CM Shehbaz for providing different facilities to the Sikh community along with the maintenance of the religious places and their beautification. The steps taken by the Punjab government for the wellbeing of the Sikh community are laudable and credit of complete religious and inter-faith harmony goes to Shehbaz.
“The chief minister is a visionary leader who is loved not only in Pakistan but abroad as well,” he said.
CM MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said the protection and preservation of mother languages is the collective societal responsibility of all of us as the education provided in one’s mother language leaves positive impacts on the children’s mental growth.
In his message on the International Mother Language Day 2018, the chief minister said the importance of mother language could not be ignored in the modern era as language was not only a tool of communication and expressions of ideas, but different nations were identified through their languages.
“The status of mother languages is recognised as a symbol of cultural heritage and national identity. Different words and sentences depict norms, civilisation and socio-cultural experiences of human beings spanning over centuries. In fact, language is such a social trait which is transferred to every generation and is considered as the most effective source of survival and promotion of societal heritage. Language is the most important identity of human beings and nations and that is why it’s considered as one of the fundamental rights,” said CM Shehbaz while adding that languages also result in a better understanding of diverse linguistic and cultural traditions found in different parts of the world.
CM CONDEMNS UNPROVOKED INDIAN FIRING AT LOC
Earlier, the chief minister strongly condemned the unprovoked firing by the Indian Army at the line of control. He expressed grief and condolence on the martyrdom of an eight-year-old child and offered his heartfelt sympathies with the bereaved family.
He said that the brutalities of the Indian forces were extremely condemnable, and the Indian army was blatantly violating human rights by targeting civilians. He also said that the cruel face of India had been fully exposed.
