FAISALABAD: State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Sunday said that Christians are an integral part of Pakistan and minorities are completely right to practice their own religious rituals without interference of any element.
He was addressing a Christmas cake-cutting ceremony while inaugurating various development schemes at Khushhal Town. He said that government was promoting religious harmony which would not only attract the foreigners to visit their religious holy sites in Pakistan but also enjoy the serenity, beauty and cultural harmony of our society.
He on the behalf of Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistani nation congratulated Christian community on Christmas and said that all available resources were being utilised to provide basic amenities to minorities in addition to protect their rights.
Farrukh said that: “Khushhal Town is plagued by sewerage, dilapidated roads and other problems for the last 40 years. However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has started to fulfill its promises and various development schemes have been launched to improve life standard of the people.”
He said that 8,000 feet long sewerage line would be laid down in Khushhal Town area and the project would be completed in 4 to 5 months on war-footing. Similarly, public parks and playgrounds would also be constructed on government lands while Rs.100 million had so far been spent on water filtration plants in the area and added that more plants would also be arranged to provide clean drinking water to 100 per cent population of the locality.
He further said that construction work at Sitiana Road, Sammundri Road and Jhang Road had been started to facilitate the commuters and motorists while development of General Hospital Haseeb Shaheed Colony was also in full swing and the project would be completed by June 2022.
State Minister for Information said, “Provision of health cards has been started and the facility will be extended to each family in Punjab up to March 2022.” He said people of Christian community and other minorities had also been included in this scheme and the card holder would be entitled to get free-treatment up to Rs.10 million per annum from the hospital of his own choice.
Farrukh said that Rs.120 billion had been allocated under Ehsaas Ration Programme to facilitate 20 million low-income families and under this programme, each family would get subsidy of Rs.1,000 per month on flour, pulses and ghee.
He said that the government had also made the banks bound to provide loans for 15 to 20 years for construction of houses and for this purpose Akhuwat Foundation are active to provide interest-free-loans to the people so that they could start their own businesses.
Later, the minister also cut Christmas cake and offered Dua for security of the country.
Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ejaz Alam Augustine, Minority Member Provincial Assembly Yudester Chauhan, former Punjab Assembly candidate Chaudhry Khalid Rafi Cheema, Mian Nabeel Arshad and Christian leader Habqooq Gill and a large number of area people were also present.
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