ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday said as the religious tolerance and inter-faith harmony was the need of hour, there was a need for all to get united to defeat the anti-state elements, who were striving to spread disarray in the society in the guise of religion.

He hoped that the National Commission for Minorities (NCM) would play its effective role in that respect.

The prime minister was talking to a delegation of the NCM which led by its Chairman Chela Ram Kewlani called on him here.

The delegation comprised Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Noor ul Haq Qadri, Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, Mufti Gulzar Ahmad Naeemi, Jiapal Chhabria, Vishnu Raja Qawi, Dr Sarah Safdar, Archbishop Sebastian Frances Shaw, Albert David, Dr Mampal Singh, Sarup Singh, Roshan Khurshid Bharucha, Dawood Shah, Islamic Ideology Council Chairman Dr Qibla Ayaz, Parliamentary Secretary Shanila Rath and others.

During the meeting matters relating to further strengthening the role of the NCM were discussed.

The prime minister said the government was committed to protect the constitutional and legal rights of citizens belonging to minority community and would take all measures in that respect.