Interfaith harmony convention held

SIALKOT, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Mar, 2026) Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora has said that minorities are the crown

of the government, emphasizing that the chief minister’s mission is to safeguard their constitutional rights.

Addressing a “Interfaith Harmony Convention” at Sialkot Medical College on Daska Road as the chief guest,

Ramesh Singh Arora said that the Punjab government has significantly increased the budget of the Minority Affairs Department from Rs 500 million to Rs 8 billion. He added that around 100,000 minority cards had already been issued to facilitate and support minority communities.

The convention witnessed participation from people belonging to various religions and schools of thought.

The Interfaith Harmony Convention was attended by the Minister of State for Planning and Development Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani, Member National Assembly (MNA) and Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar, and Chairman of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.

Commissioner Gujranwala Division Syed Naveed Haider Shirazi, Deputy Commissioner Sialkot Saba Asghar Ali, Parliamentary Secretary Sonia Ashir, MPA Shakeela Arthur, and Bishop of Lahore Nadeem Kamran were also

present.

In his address, Minister of State for Planning and Development Chaudhry Armaghan Subhani said the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees minority rights and acknowledged their vital role in national development.

He said that minorities are being provided full opportunities to join the national mainstream and interfaith harmony is ideally present in the country.

Chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad emphasized that islam teaches respect for humanity and religious tolerance.

Chairperson of the National Assembly Standing Committee on National Heritage and Culture Syeda Nosheen Iftikhar said that the leadership of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is committed to ensuring minorities live with dignity and respect, adding that protecting the life and property of non-muslim citizens is a state responsibility.