Speakers at a meeting of representatives of all faiths held at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington have expressed satisfaction at the commitment shown at the highest level in Pakistan to bring those responsible for the deadly Jaranwala incident to justice and to compensate those affected.
“August 16 was a dark day for Pakistan; it was a conspiracy to disrupt social harmony and religious bonds between followers of two faiths,” Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, told the gathering on Wednesday.
He said that the entire leadership of Pakistan and civil society had strongly condemned the incident, and stood by Christian brothers and sisters who suffered from arson and vandalism.
US Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Rashad Hussain also condemned the incident and expressed the deepest condolences on behalf of Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the United States government.
“Pakistan is a place that is very dear to my heart … my family is from Lahore. It is such a beautiful country in so many respects,” the US diplomat said.
“To me it hurts when I see an event that doesn’t represent the beauty of Pakistan, true values of Pakistani people.”
He called for working together and to consider ways and means to prevent misuse of laws to stop such incidents.
“Beyond the laws that are on books, we have to create a climate in which all people can practice their religion freely, without fear of persecution; without fear of violence, because that is something that we all share,” Ambassador Hussain said. Pakistani-American Christian leaders and representatives of other faiths also thanked the government for its pledge to protect the minorities and expressed solidarity with the affected Jaranwala community.
Ilyas Masih, Director of the All Neighbours’ Association, underscored the teachings of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) and the Quaid-i-Azam’s vision, saying the Constitution of Pakistan guaranteed freedom of religion to all people.
In his remarks, Ambassador Masood Khan thanked lyas Masih and his Association for its efforts to promote interfaith harmony. He also thanked the participants expressing solidarity and reiterating strong commitment towards the cause of promoting greater understanding among the followers of various religions and societies. Highlighting the efforts to compensate and rebuild places of worship as well as homes of the affected people in Jaranwala, Masood Khan said that the community had also stepped forward to help rebuild the damaged houses and properties.
