LAHROE: The Punjab government has increased the amount of financial assistance for deserving minorities from Rs 5000 to Rs 10,000 per person. A pragmatic plan for security and renovation of churches has also been chalked out.

This was announced by Provincial Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ejaz Alam Augustine while addressing a function to distribute relief cheques among Christians community at Tehsil Council Hall Sahiwal.

Representatives of minorities and local PTI leaders were also present on the occasion.

He said the government was resolving the problems faced by minorities on priority basis while work had been expedited to complete development projects in the area of Christian communities. The minister said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was taking personal interest in giving full rights to minorities, providing them religious freedom and resolving their issues. He said Christmas was celebrated for the first time at the official level while the Kartarpur Corridor was opened for the Sikh community and now the shrine of Maryamabad was also being opened in the same style so that Christians from abroad could visit to promote tourism.

Provincial Minister Ejaz Alam Augustin said that 171 Christians of Sahiwal district were being given cheques of Rs 10,000 per person, out of which 111 belonged to Sahiwal and 60 belonged to Chichawatni tehsil.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020