Federal Minister for Minorities Affairs Shahbaz Bhatti met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Apostolic Palace of Castle Gandolfo. In the meeting the Pope said, "the flood affected persons were very close to my heart and we stand in solidarity with Pakistan. We will continue to support the victims of this devastation for which I have made appeals", said a fax message received here on Monday.
Shahbaz Bhatti thanked the Pope for his personal appeals for victims of the catastrophic floods and expressed gratitude for the donations already made by the Catholic Church for flood victims. He also appreciated that Catholic charitable agencies throughout the world had launched campaigns to raise funds to provide long-term assistance to those in need.
Shahbaz Bhatti underscored that such continued and timely assistance would go a long way in providing essential items, combating the twin dangers of malnourishment and disease, as well as meeting the challenges of rehabilitation and reconstruction. "Pakistan needed the support and co-operation of the international community to deal with a natural disaster of this scale and magnitude", he said.
The minister also presented a letter from President Asif Ali Zardari to Pope Benedict XVI in which he had inter alia referred to promoting interfaith and intercultural harmony in Pakistan. The minister reiterated Pakistan's commitment to mutual understanding and interfaith harmony, especially at the grass-roots level and referred to the contribution of the Christian community in Pakistan, and the existing opportunities and challenges they faced.
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