LAHORE, Feb 1: Prime Minister’s Coordinator for Religious Harmony and Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC) Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mahmood Ashrafi has said that Pakistan was committed to promoting interfaith harmony, dialogue, peace and tolerance which are vital for peaceful coexistence and national unity.

In a message issued here on Sunday on the occasion of World Interfaith Harmony Week, being observed from February 1 to 7, he said that interfaith harmony was vital for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among different religions and communities.

The PM’s coordinator said Pakistan was a society enriched with religious, cultural, linguistic and ethnic diversity, which should be protected through dialogue and understanding. He added that Islam, the Constitution of Pakistan and the country’s laws guarantee respect for the rights of all humanity, irrespective of religion or belief. He said that the Constitution ensured religious freedom and equal rights for all citizens without discrimination.

Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said that on the occasion of World Interfaith Harmony Week, a renewed commitment was being made to fully implement the code of conduct outlined in the Constitution of Pakistan and the national narrative of Paigham-e-Pakistan. He said all efforts aimed at promoting intolerance, extremism and division in society would be defeated.

He also expressed solidarity with the armed forces and security institutions in their efforts to eliminate extremism and terrorism, saying religious scholars and citizens would stand shoulder to shoulder with state institutions to ensure peace, stability and national unity.

Ashrafi said promoting interfaith harmony was a shared national responsibility and urged all segments of society to play their role in strengthening tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence in the country.