Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Khel Das Kohistani told attendees at the conference held at Holy Trinity Cathedral Church in Karachi that the solution to many of society’s problems lies in unity and harmony, and that the government is taking practical steps to foster interfaith harmony.
He highlighted the role of the Federal Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony under Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, noting ongoing initiatives aimed at the welfare of minorities and promotion of tolerance. The ministry has allocated annual funds to help bring minority communities into the mainstream, he said.
Khel Das emphasized the government’s commitment to protecting minority rights and supporting religious celebrations, saying the state upholds the principles stated by Quaid-e-Azam three days before the 14th of August 1947. He pointed out that the Prime Minister, the Punjab chief minister and the Sindh chief minister have all participated in minority festivals to demonstrate support.
The minister said that genuine Interfaith Harmony would ultimately make separate gatherings less necessary, and stressed that no religion condones terrorism. He asked that such conferences be taken to international forums to show Pakistan’s efforts to promote peaceful coexistence and to remind the world that Pakistan itself has been a victim of terrorism while striving for peace.
In a strongly worded remark attributed to him at the event, Khel Das criticized India’s prime minister, calling Narendra Modi ‘today’s Ravan’ and saying his perceived arrogance had been challenged by Pakistan’s armed forces, remarks that underlined the charged regional context in which calls for religious tolerance were being made.
Special Assistant to the Sindh Chief Minister Dr. Sham Sunder Advani spoke of harmony and mutual respect in Pakistan, praising the vision of Sindh leadership and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari to promote interfaith understanding. He observed that every religion has its own beauty and stressed that a child’s humanity comes before any later adopted faith.
Bishop Frederick John thanked security agencies for safeguarding Christmas celebrations and said programs of this kind are essential to teach people how to live together respectfully. Religious scholar Dr. Jameel Rathore reiterated that the Prophet Muhammad first taught humanity and respect for human dignity, and noted that protests in Israel show one leader does not represent an entire faith.
Other speakers underlined the importance of tolerance and legal protection for minorities. Dr. Shabbir Hussain stressed that Islam does not permit compulsion in religion and that an attack on a Christian in Pakistan is felt as an attack on the wider community. Mufti Muhammad Qasuri described the gathering as a positive national and international message about respect for belief and the Islamic teaching to live and let live.
Representative of the Sikh community Sardar Ramesh praised Pakistan’s opening of the Kartarpur Corridor and urged India to reciprocate and reopen access for pilgrims. Member of the Sindh Assembly Dr. Mahesh Kumar called for education about all religions to foster respect and better protection of minority rights, reflecting a shared call for deeper intercommunal understanding across Sindh.
