Pakistan is striving to build tolerance and religious pluralism, Ambassador Masood Khan told a special event to celebrate Christmas held at the Pakistani embassy here on Sunday.
“The spirit of interfaith harmony and religious tolerance permeates Pakistan,” the Pakistani envoy said in his remarks at the gathering that included religious leaders of all faiths, including Muslims, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. “Christians” he said, “are an essential and integral part of Pakistan’s polity and state and their influence and impact over years has increased exponentially.”
In this regard, Masood Khan highlighted the significant presence of the Christian community members in the mainstream of national life, including judiciary, civil service, armed forces, parliament, education and other professional fields. “We owe a lot to the Christian community,” he said. Referring to the Jaranwala incident this year, the Ambassador said that the entire nation of Pakistan was outraged, with the political and religious leadership as well as the civil society standing in solidarity with the Christian community, offering them help not only in construction of their damaged properties but also offering their own places of worship to them.
“We have to promote interfaith harmony which is essential for our progressive state,” he added. “We are a family today and we would continue to maintain this relationship — this connectivity.” The Ambassador also highlighted that Christmas also coincided with the birth of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, adding to the significance of the day for the Pakistani nation. He recalled that Christian families were invited to the presidency during his tenure as President of Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Pastor Michael Trivett, Dr. Joe Knight from Church of the Nazarene, Michigan; Rizwan Jaka, Chairman of Board, ADAMS & Compassionate Healthcare Network Clinic (ACHN); Ms. Aisha Khan, Democratic Party Leader, Maryland; Ms. Srilekha Reddy, Republican Party leader, Virginia; Dr. Surinder P. Singh, a doyen of the US Sikh community; and former Senator Akbar Khawaja also spoke on the occasion.
They lauded embassy’s open-door policy and its efforts to unite people of all religion under one roof. Ambassador Masood Khan especially appreciated the efforts of Ilyas Masih for being a ‘connector’ of people of faiths.
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