Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir in a meeting with members of the Christian community at the General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi stressed the significance of promoting interfaith harmony in the society, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said on Monday.
A 14-member Christian community delegation, led by Dr Azad Marshall — Moderator and President Bishops (Church of Pakistan and Bishop of Raiwind) — called on General Munir, the army’s media wing said.
During the meeting matters of mutual interest, religious and inter-faith harmony were discussed as the COAS lauded the contributions of the Christian community in national development, including the promotion of quality education, healthcare and philanthropic services and the outstanding role played by them for the defence of the motherland.
Gen Munir expressed deep respect for the Christian community and stressed the need to promote greater interfaith harmony in the society to follow Quaid’s true vision of a united and progressive Pakistan, the ISPR added.
General Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff (#COAS) has emphasised the need to promote greater interfaith harmony in society and to follow in Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's true vision of a united and progressive #Pakistan
He was talking to a 13-member delegation of… pic.twitter.com/CCLBLd6SKx
— Pakistan Armed Forces News 🇵🇰 (@PakistanFauj) September 25, 2023
“Islam is a religion of peace and there is no space for intolerance and extremism in Islam and society. No one can be allowed to take law into his own hands in a civilised society,” the army chief said.
Meanwhile, the Christian community members acknowledged the Pakistan Army’s efforts in combatting terrorism and providing a secure environment for the minorities in the country.
The delegation lauded the army chief’s gesture as an inspiration for the Pakistani minorities to take a greater and more active part in nation-building and in restoring their faith in a cohesive and tolerant society.
‘No space for intolerance’: COAS on Jaranwala incident
The meeting comes in the backdrop of the “Jaranwala incident” where a mob vandalised several churches and set scores of houses on fire after a few miscreants made announcements in mosques inciting the mob to attack under allegations of blasphemy in Jaranwala town, Faisalabad.
