ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf, here on Thursday met Joseph Arshad, Archbishop of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, and discussed measures to eradicate religious extremism in the country.

Archbishop Joseph Arshad congratulated Federal Minister Sardar Mohammad Yousaf on assuming the portfolio of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony and discussed with him various proposals regarding the increasing trend of religious intolerance in the world, the elimination of terrorism and sectarianism, the establishment of peace, and the promotion of interfaith harmony.

The minister stated that minorities have a key role in the development and prosperity of Pakistan and paid tributes to all minority communities for playing a positive role in the country’s development.

He emphasised that the role of minorities in the construction and development of Pakistan cannot be ignored, and that minorities in Pakistan enjoy all political, economic, and social rights guaranteed by the Constitution.

The government has taken numerous steps to empower minorities politically, socially, and economically.

The establishment of the National Commission for Minorities, the Interfaith Harmony Policy, and the approval of the Religious Tolerance Promotion Policy have practically made minorities free in Pakistan.

Archbishop Joseph Arshad appreciated the measures taken by the Ministry of Religious Affairs & Inter-Faith Harmony and the Government of Pakistan regarding minorities, stating that important projects in the fields of education and health are underway in Pakistan under the administration of the Catholic Church of Pakistan.

He emphasised that by promoting tolerance and forbearance, extremism can be eradicated from the world.

Factors such as love, equality, tolerance, and pacifism can play a significant role in promoting tolerance in society.

During the meeting, there was an agreement to increase mutual cooperation to eliminate extremism and intolerance from the world and to promote interfaith harmony.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2025