Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Islamabad (Agenzia Fides) – While the nation is still suffering from shock following the slaughter of Hazara Shiites at Quetta, in Beluchistan, on 16 February, which left 89 dead and over 200 wounded, Pakistan’s politics and the country’s religious communities seek to give a firm response adopting a “Common Declaration” underlining the urgent necessity for social and religious harmony. At Quetta, in the meantime, street protests were staged by the Shiite community following the serious sectarian attack for which the Islamist extremist group “Lashkar-e-Jhangvi” has claimed responsibility. In reply Pakistan’s Prime |Minister, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, ordered a police raid at Quetta, which led to the arrest of three suspects. Quetta, main city of Baluchistan, has been the scene of numerous attacks on the Shiite minority by local terrorist groups and by groups of Islamist extremists. Official figures regarding 2012 put the total number of Shiite casualties in different attacks on national territory, at 400, 125 in Baluchistan.
To send a signal to the nation, the Federal Ministry for Harmony, chaired by Paul Bhatti, has organised for tomorrow, 20 February , in Islamabad, a conference on the theme “Living together in diversity: interreligious and intercultural dialogue ”, with the participation of Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and numerous religious leaders representing all the communities. The conference Agenda, Fides was told, will include matters such as violence, intolerance, extremism, terrorism, and discrimination. The conference aims to identity ways and means of promoting dialogue, peace and harmonious co-existence in the nation.
Fides also heard that political and religious leaders will sign a solemn “Declaration on Interreligious Harmony in Pakistan” committing themselves as follows : to develop a national policy for interreligious and intercultural harmony, with adequate legislative proposals; to identify and uproot deeply lying causes of conflict; to safeguard all rights of all minority groups, without distinction; to build bridges of friendship and peace between Pakistan and the rest of the world; to find ways and means of transmitting a message of respect for human dignity, common to all religions . (PA) (Agenzia Fides 19/2/2013)
