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LAHORE:The Directorate of Students Affairs University of Home Economics (UHE) here on Monday arranged a special ceremony to celebrate the National Minorities Day bringing together representatives of different religious communities and highlighting the importance of interfaith harmony and the protection of minority rights in Pakistan.
Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora, UHE Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Zaib-un-Nisa Hussain, Dr Majid Abel, Bishop and Amar Nath Randhawa Pandit were among the prominent participants.
Addressing the ceremony, Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora said the implementation of the Sikh Marriage Act was a landmark piece of legislation, enabling Sikh marriages to be solemnised in accordance with Sikh religious traditions. He said Pakistan had taken important steps to safeguard the rights of religious minorities and that all minorities in the country enjoyed fundamental rights.
He said the Sikh identity had been undermined in India despite its claim of being a secular state. ‘It is the responsibility of the state to ensure the protection of minority rights, and this is also the commitment of the Punjab chief minister,’ he added. The minister described Kartarpur as a ‘classic example of interfaith harmony,’ saying that Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims could be seen together there in an atmosphere of mutual respect.
Referring to Pakistan’s recent tensions with India, Ramesh Singh Arora said the Pakistani nation had remained united and, under the leadership of CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, had demonstrated its resolve. He also said the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement had demonstrated to the world that Pakistan was an emerging power. While addressing the audience, Prof Dr Zaib-un-Nisa Hussain said members of minority communities had always played an important role in the development and progress of Pakistan.
