HAFIZABAD - Speakers at a public gathering stressed the need for creating culture of tolerance to eradicate sectarian hatred and extremism from society.
They said that Islam taught tolerance and forbearance and therefore it was the bounden duty of all and sundry to create an atmosphere of tolerance. They also stressed the need for mitigating emotional thinking by creating awareness among the masses through Ulema, members of civil society and the media.
The meeting was organised by DPO Muhammad Waqas Nazir to thank the Ulema from all schools of thoughts, the district administration, Licensees of different Muharram processions, office-bearers of DBA, traders' organisations and media for extending practical cooperation in maintaining traditional peace during Ashura-e-Muharram.
On the occasion, the DPO called upon the participants to continue their efforts to forge brotherhood by changing the mindset for maintaining sectarian harmony throughout the year. He sought suggestions to improve security arrangements in future and urged them to pinpoint loopholes, if there was any.
The DPO said that he was planning hosting a seminar in Hafizabad in the near future on creating a tolerant society which would ultimately help eliminate sectarian hatred and extremism from society. "Scholars, members of civil society and intellectuals will be invited to the seminar, he added. Prominent among those who also addressed the gathering included PML-N leader Ch Afzal Hussain Tarar, Acting DCO Sohail Khan, Maulana Nasrullah Khan Bhatti, Barrister Waseemul Hasan Naqvi, Sh M Amjad, Hamid Taskeen Hijazi, DOC Noman Hafeez, Abdul Hameed Rahmani, Rai Muhammad Usman, Abdul Khaliq Qadri, Ch Mazhar Hussain Warraich, Zawar Liquat Hussain Khannu, and Maulana Muhammad Ibrahim Alvi.
MISSING FACILITIES: A sum of Rs16 million will be spent on the missing facilities in schools under the Education Sector Reform, said Acting DCO Sohail Khan here. He directed the District Monitoring Officer Abdul Hafeez Bhatti to prepare feasibility in this regard.