Religious minorities in Pakistan enjoy unprecedented freedom and liberty and Pakistan is a role model for other South Asian countries with regard to welfare of minority communities.
This was expressed by Punjab Human Rights Minister Makhdoom Ashfaq Ahmed while talking to a 10-member delegation of religious minority leaders that called on him here on Monday, disclosed an official.
Briefing the delegation about various welfare-oriented steps taken by the government to ameliorate the lot of minorities, the minister observed that Pakistan was a proud symbol of its minorities' development as welfare and betterment of minority communities was one of the top agenda of the government.
"The government was continuously providing non-lapsable funds for renovation and maintenance of sacred places belonging to minority communities," he added.
According to him, the government has constituted 'National Commission for Minorities' to look after and safeguard religious, social and cultural rights of the religious minorities in Pakistan, as a result of well co-ordinated reforms of the government the role of religious minorities in national development had been enhanced.
Inter-faith harmony committees had been constituted at the level of provinces and districts to further encourage inter-faith harmony and dialogue, he added.
The delegation, comprising of community leaders of various religious minorities, appreciated the efforts of the government for promoting inter-faith harmony at the gross-roots level and observed that Pakistan was a symbol of well being of its minorities.