Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed, addressing the Interfaith Harmony Conference at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts on Wednesday, emphasized the need for unity among all faiths and condemned any attempts to tarnish the image of religions.
“Who are those individuals seeking to distort the essence of faith?” asked Aneeq, as he addressed a captivated audience. “We are brothers, and in our presence, any attack on a place of worship is a grave injustice.” Reflecting on recent events such as the incident in Jaranwala, the minister stated that such incidents should never have occurred. However, he pointed out that there had been even worse atrocities against various communities in neighboring India.
“Those who lost their lives in India among the Christian brethren are not just Christians but also our brothers,” he passionately expressed.
He further reiterated that Pakistan was not merely a “State,” but an Islamic Republic. “We are the People of the Book, and we are supplicants of the One God,” he proclaimed. Aneeq extended his message of inclusivity by highlighting the divine nature of all scriptures, including Torah, Psalms, Bible, and the Holy Quran. “These are all divine revelations, the final one being the Quran,” he affirmed. Turning his attention to the tragic incident in Manipur, India, where over 150 Christians lost their lives, the minister clarified that no Christian had been harmed in Pakistan. “We believe that what happened in Jaranwala should never have happened,” he stated emphatically.
He applauded the collective stance of the nation alongside their Christian brethren in the face of the Jaranwala tragedy. “We are a resilient nation, and our protest speaks volumes,” he declared.
In his closing remarks, Aneeq urged that while any incident should be prevented, it must be handled through legal means. “We must not take the law into our own hands,” he emphasized, leaving the audience inspired and reflective.
