Punjab Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs (HR&MA) Ejaz Alam Augustine said that the human rights department along with other welfare organizations was working day and night to establish peace in the society and the Punjab tolerance summit conference would definitely promote peace.
He said that recently religious harmony week was celebrated in full zeal to promote the spirit of tolerance.
These views were expressed by him while addressing the inaugural session of the two-day Tolerance Summit Conference organized by the Human Rights Department in association with a private welfare organization at the Governor House on Thursday.
Briefing the participants about the Interfaith Policy on behalf of the department, Director Human Rights Muhammad Yousuf said that the draft Interfaith Policy has entered the final stages while the Department of Human Rights has the unique honor of being the introduced first human rights policy.
Under the Human Rights Policy, protection of rights of children, women, religious minorities, persons with disabilities, senior citizens, eunuchs etc are being ensured.
He said that the Human Rights Department has been imparting training to various institutions across the province, in which more than 101,758 officials have been trained since August 2018, including 50% women.
2% quota has been allotted for religious minorities in all educational institutions connected with higher education in Punjab.
Mohammad Yousuf further said that Additional Secretary Human Rights and Minority Affairs has been nominated as a member in the curriculum board to eliminate discrimination in the curriculum. A mechanism has been devised under which the Punjab government will compile data from various levels through web portals and compile reports and the provincial government, in collaboration with the federal government, will link to institutions of global importance through the web.
The conference was attended by a large number of political and social personalities belonging to different religions.
Summit conference will be continued for two days in which several sessions and speeches will be delivered.
