Peshawar: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has provided basic facilities to 117 minority places of worship across the province as part of an important initiative to promote religious freedom, welfare and inter-faith harmony among the minority community.
KP Minister for Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri participated as a special guest in the handover ceremony held here on Thursday.
Secretary Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs Attaur Rahman, senior officials of the Auqaf Department, representatives of the minority community including religious leaders of Gurdwaras, Churches and Temples participated in the ceremony.
During the ceremony, a total of 1,122 essential items for 117 minority places of worship across the province were handed over to the relevant representatives. Among the items provided are 30 electric water coolers, 25 sound systems, 1,000 steel chairs, 37 large size beds, a generator and 30 other essential items. including, the purpose of which is to provide better facilities for holding religious rituals and gatherings in places of worship.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial Minister, Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri said that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was taking practical measures to protect the religious, social and constitutional rights of the minority community.
He said that the provision of basic facilities to the minority places of worship was an important development that would facilitate the organization of religious events and provide a better environment to the minority communities.
He said that necessary facilities have been approved for 18 minority places of worship in the merged districts, while earlier the government has provided various basic facilities to 85 minority places of worship.
The provincial minister further announced that the government was also introducing a laptop scheme for the able and intelligent students of the minority community so that they can have better access to modern education and digital facilities.
On this occasion, Secretary Auqaf Attaur Rehman said that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was playing a significant role in providing facilities to minority communities in Pakistan.
He said that the places of worship have been provided with facilities according to their needs so that the minority community can perform their religious duties in a better way.
At the end of the ceremony, the provincial minister Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri distributed the facilities and goods to the representatives of Gurdwaras, Churches and Temples and reiterated his determination that the government would continue to take effective measures for the welfare of the minority communities, religious freedom and social security.