ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has urged upon the religious leaders and citizens of Pakistan to promote values of forbearance and open-mindedness towards people of different faiths by spreading the message of peace.
“We reiterate the pledge made by our great leaders of according equal treatment to all our citizens irrespective of their religion, caste and creed,” the president said this in his message for August 11—the Minorities Day.
The president said the democratic government was driven by the vision of the Quaid-e-Azam to protect rights of all minorities in the country and in this regard had already taken a number of steps for the welfare of non-Muslims.
“The observance of Minorities Day reflects our commitment to integrate people of all faiths in the national life. We need to protect and promote democratic values and culture as an important tool to promote tolerance and harmony by ending extremism, intolerance and sectarianism,” he said.
President Mamnoon felicitated the non-Muslims of Pakistan and renewed commitment towards a tolerant society and to work for the protection of their rights as equal citizens of the state.
He said August 11 was a special day in the national calendar to reaffirm commitment to fulfil the promise made to non-Muslim brethren by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and bring them into the national mainstream.
“Let us rededicate ourselves to the ideal of a modern and progressive Pakistan as envisioned by the Quaid-e-Azam,” he said.
He said the observance of Minorities Day was an occasion to recognise the important role played by the minorities in nation building, the sacrifices rendered by them and to focus on addressing the problems faced by them.
He mentioned that it was on this day [August 11] in 1947, when Jinnah in his historic address to the Constituent Assembly outlined the contours of a modern and tolerant Pakistan in which people of all faiths would have equal rights and opportunities.
“Let us reiterate today that we will uphold the ideals of equal rights and complete freedom to every citizen to freely profess and practice his or her religion,” he said.
