Lahore, November 08, 2022 (PPI-OT):Chief Minister Punjab Chaudhry Parvez Elahi cut the cake, along with the Sikhs and religious minority members at a ceremony held at his office to mark the birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak. Parvez Elahi congratulated the Sikh community on the auspicious occasion and said that three million rupees have been allocated for the welfare of the Sikh community on the occasion of Baba Guru Nanak’s birthday.
About ten thousand rupees per person will be provided for the treatment of differently-abled persons, orphans, widows and sick people of the Sikh community; he explained and noted that Baba Guru Nanak’s birthday is an occasion to rejoice for the Sikh community.
The CM mentioned that Baba Guru Nanak impressed people with his good morals and immaculate character. Not only the Sikh community but also people of other faiths look up to Baba Guru Nanak and his teachings have an aspect of reformation and religious harmony, he added.
The CM asserted that the rights that the minorities have in Pakistan and the conducive atmosphere of societal tolerance that exists in Pakistan, cannot be imagined in India. Religious minorities have the fullest freedom to perform religious rituals and the Punjab government was following the policy of providing equal opportunities for employment and education to the minority communities, he further said. A quota was being given to the minority communities in higher education institutions and jobs.
In the educational scholarship scheme, 50 % of scholarships were given to central Punjab, 35 % to south Punjab and 15 % to north Punjab. Scholarships are given to minority students securing 50% marks from matric to higher education; he explained and said that funds are spent for the development of minority communities’ areas.
Alongside this, funds have also been allocated for the festivals of the minority communities. All these measures are aimed at providing equal opportunities, including education and development, to religious minorities so that they could play their full role in national development, concluded the CM.
Provincial Advisor Aamir Saeed Raan, Punjab Government’s spokesperson Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, MPAs namely Hanif Pitafi, Rafaquat Gillani, Mahinder Pal Singh, Habakkuk Rafiq Babu, Samuel Yaqub, Yudestar Chauhan, Robinson Aziz Frances, Aruj Raza, Archbishop of Lahore Sebastian Shaw, Karpa Singh, Dr. Mampal Singh, Ravinder Singh, Surjit Singh, Tariq Inayat, Asif Sohail Khokhar, Shahzad and secretary human rights and minority affairs dept attended the ceremony while a minority delegation led by Hoga Singh from UK also participated.
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