Minister says provincial commission, capacity-building and religious tourism initiatives are being pursued

By Dr Ansab Ali, Lahore, Pakistan

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora on Thursday briefed Netherlands Ambassador Robert Jan Siegert on the Punjab government’s initiatives for the protection and welfare of minority communities and sought greater international cooperation in the sector.

The ambassador called on the provincial minister in Lahore. First Secretary Political Affairs Jorin van den Heuvel and Secretary Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Dr Usman Ali Khan also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Arora briefed the ambassador on initiatives being undertaken under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif for the welfare, protection and socioeconomic development of minority communities in Punjab.

The minister also apprised the ambassador of progress regarding the National Commission for Minority Rights and efforts to establish a provincial Minority Rights Commission to further strengthen institutional mechanisms for safeguarding minority rights.

Arora said the provincial government was also working on ambassador programmes, capacity-building initiatives and e-learning projects for minority communities aimed at improving access to education, training and development opportunities.

The meeting also discussed the promotion of religious tourism and preservation of minority places of worship across Punjab. The minister briefed the ambassador on government initiatives for the protection and development of important religious sites.

The Netherlands ambassador appreciated the initiatives of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif and the provincial minister for the welfare and protection of minority communities. He offered cooperation in areas of mutual interest and assured that the Netherlands would extend support, where required, for the promotion of religious tourism.

The two sides agreed to enhance international cooperation in the areas of minority rights protection, capacity-building and modern training programmes, while also exploring opportunities for joint initiatives in areas of mutual interest.