Islamabad (Agencies): Caretaker Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Murtaza Solangi said on Thursday that the elimination of extremism and all types of prejudices was not only part of Islamic religious norms and Islamic history but it was also a cornerstone of Pakistan’s ideology.
Addressing the International Peace Festival in Islamabad, he said that National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) had taken important steps to eliminate extremism and terrorism from the society.
The minister said that extremism was one of the elements that destroy peace and creates violence which breeds terrorism.
Solangi opined that protection of the rights of minorities was one of the “roots of the state” as Pakistan was created against the concept of a majoritarian Hindu state in the Subcontinent.
He said that the Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah elaborated on the rights of minorities in his speech of August 11, 1947. He said that Islam also taught kindness to humanity, irrespective of their caste and creed.
The minister said that anti-peace forces wanted to weaken the power of Pakistan by targeting minorities as diversity was Pakistan’s strength.
All the people of the state of Pakistan enjoyed equal rights, Murtaza Solangi said adding that the promotion and protection of minorities rights on the principle of equality was a major weapon against extremism. He said that time had come to eliminate all types of prejudices from the society as it was one aspect of the ideology of creation of Pakistan.
The minister said that 22 years ago in 2001, the United Nations (UN) announced to celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21 every year. In 2023, he added, 75 years of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will also be marked which was an important milestone in itself.
