Punjab Charities Commission has brought religious scholars, representatives of the Christian community, and civil society organisations onto a common platform to promote religious tolerance, interfaith harmony, and social cohesion in Punjab. Participants stressed the need to involve the younger generation, particularly Generation Z, in peacebuilding activities, enhance the role of women and female religious scholars, and ensure effective legal action against hate speech and religious incitement on social media.
Around 90 people attended the special interactive session held at the Diocese of Church of Pakistan. They included representatives of 35 civil society organisations, 25 representatives of religious scholars, including five female scholars, and 30 representatives of the Christian community.
The civil society organisations included, in particular, those working for women's empowerment and the promotion of interfaith harmony. The session was chaired by Chief Executive Officer of the Punjab Charities Commission, Col (retd) Shahzad Amir.
A representative of the Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism (CoE-CVE) also attended. The engagement initiatives, launched by the Punjab Charities Commission in collaboration with the Punjab Home Department, aim to promote mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among different religious communities, religious scholars, and civil society organisations.
Earlier, several meetings and institutional visits had also been arranged with religious scholars, religious institutions, and welfare organisations as part of these efforts. Welcoming the participants, Col (retd) Shahzad Amir said the commission was continuously taking steps to bring communities belonging to different faiths and civil society organisations together on a common platform to promote mutual respect, religious tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.
He said religious harmony and social cohesion were essential for building a peaceful, progressive, and stable society. He urged religious scholars and civil society organisations to discourage intolerance, religious prejudice, and divisive narratives, promote positive thinking, and play an active role in strengthening cooperation among different segments of society at the grassroots level.
He stated that the Punjab Charities Commission was committed to continuing regular interaction and meetings among different religious communities to help build an inclusive and harmonious society. Bishop Dr Azad Marshall of the Church of Pakistan welcomed the chief executive officer of the Punjab Charities Commission, religious scholars, civil society representatives, and other participants.
He appreciated the initiative to bring different religious communities together. The Centre of Excellence for Countering Violent Extremism, in collaboration with participating civil society organisations, is also planning to launch awareness campaigns to counter hate speech, promote the responsible use of social media, and encourage joint welfare activities.
Practical progress towards building a peaceful, inclusive, and harmonious society will be pursued through regular interaction, consultative meetings, and institutional visits.