The government must constitute a Task Force to devise a strategy and action plan to ensure religious tolerance in the country, and introduce fresh legislation to put complete ban on sectarianism by ensuring strict action against elements labelling others as infidels and inciting killing in the name of religion.
These demands were made by the participants of the peace rally entitled "Partnership for Peace-Dignity for All" under Diversity and Inclusion Campaign to mark International Day of Peace. The participants hailing from different communities and different socio-economic background gathered for peace walk from district council to Circular Road in Faisalabad.
The rally was attended by Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM), Peace and Human Development (PHD Foundation), Pakistan NGOs Network (PNN), Lyallpur Development Organisation (LDO), and Rights of Expression, Assembly, Association and Thought (REAT Network). At this juncture, the participants strongly condemned the terrorist attack on the Pakistan Air Force camp in Peshawar, and saluted brave army men for defeating terrorists' plan and embracing martyrdom. The participants also released smiley and heart-shaped balloons as a symbol of peace.
Speaking on the occasion, a parliamentarian Khalida Mansoor said, "The sectarianism and terrorism both go hand-in-hand, therefore the government is determined to make utmost efforts to purge the country of terrorism and extremism, and it is taking action against terrorists, facilitators and financiers supporting sectarianism, and observing zero tolerance for hate speech and hate literature."
The president of Faisalabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rizwan Ashraf said, "The people of Pakistan and its law enforcement agencies had suffered at the hands of terrorists and extremists more than any other country. It is a collective responsibility of citizens, communities and governments to seek and achieve genuine peace where diverse people live together in harmony beyond ethnic and religious divides."
The director of the Peace and Human Development (PHD Foundation), Suneel Malik said, "The diversity and inclusion campaign calls on individuals to take concrete initiatives relevant to their lives that promotes diversity and inclusion, and to combat polarisation, hatred and stereotypes to improve understanding and co-operation among people from diverse cultures and communities." The program director of the AWAM, Naseem Anthony said, "A broader program to tackle the causes and various facets of hate, beginning from the education sector to state-level campaigns must be initiated to combat extremism, inequality and structural discrimination." "If the government is committed to implement Apex Court judgement issued on 19 June 2014, then a task force must be constituted to devise a strategy to ensure religious tolerance; and curriculum should be designed or revised in a manner that it helps to promote culture of religious and social harmony at the level of schools and colleges," he demanded. A member of the Punjab Commission on the Status of Women (PCSW), Shazia George said, "Intolerance and violence are escalating in Pakistan, therefore young people of Pakistan having enormous potential to affect public attitude and perceptions, must be sensitised and educated in peace-building, because they can serve as key instrument to mitigate conflicts, nurture peace and strengthen tolerance in society."
The president of the Adara Samaji Behbood, Irshad Parkash said, "The government must release funds for the renovation and preservation of the composite heritage like historical religious buildings, to promote social and religious harmony Pakistan."
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