DLP Report
PESHAWAR
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has allotted four kanals of land in Dera Ismail Khan for the establishment of separate cremation grounds for the Hindu and Sikh communities, describing the move as part of its efforts to safeguard minority rights and promote interfaith harmony.
Under the initiative, two kanals each have been allocated to the Hindu and Sikh communities. The land was formally handed over by Provincial Minister for Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs Sahibzada Muhammad Adnan Qadri during a ceremony attended by representatives of the two communities, elected representatives, religious leaders, local elders and senior government officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr Qadri said the provincial government remained committed to protecting the constitutional and religious rights of all citizens, irrespective of their faith. He said the provision of separate cremation grounds reflected the government’s commitment to religious freedom, equality and peaceful coexistence.
He said minority communities were an integral part of Pakistan’s social fabric and had made valuable contributions to the country’s development.
Highlighting measures taken for the welfare of minorities, the minister said the government had launched a Rs61 million Religious Festivals Support Programme to provide financial assistance to churches, gurdwaras, temples, Kalash places of worship and other minority religious institutions.
He said scholarship programmes had also been introduced for minority students from intermediate to PhD level, while financial assistance was being provided through widow grants, marriage grants, orphan support and disability assistance for members of minority communities.
Mr Qadri said the government had also sponsored CSS and PMS preparatory training for minority youth, established a Rs200 million endowment fund for terrorism-affected minorities and a Rs100 million Kalash Development Endowment Fund, and acquired land in different districts for graveyards, places of worship and cremation grounds.
He added that a development project worth more than Rs500 million was under way for the rehabilitation of minority places of worship and residential colonies across the province.
The minister said the government had also initiated the solarisation of minority places of worship and was providing monthly financial assistance to religious leaders from minority communities. He added that provincial and district interfaith harmony committees, minority advisory committees and help desks had been established to address issues faced by minorities and strengthen communal harmony.
Secretary Auqaf, Hajj, Religious and Minority Affairs Atta Ur Rahman said protecting the rights of minorities was not only a constitutional obligation but also a religious and moral responsibility.
He said the department was implementing a comprehensive programme for the welfare and empowerment of minority communities through scholarships, welfare grants, infrastructure development, rehabilitation of places of worship, interfaith harmony initiatives and skills development programmes.
Representatives of the Hindu and Sikh communities welcomed the initiative, describing the establishment of dedicated cremation grounds in Dera Ismail Khan as the fulfilment of a longstanding demand and an important step towards ensuring religious freedom and dignity for minority communities in the region.
