Caretaker Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed inaugurated a health camp at Badshahi Masjid here on Sunday, and stressed the need for collective efforts to establish a healthy society.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony and a seminar on Role of mosques, mimber and mehrab for healthy society, he said there were more than 250,000 mosques in the country, which should be made a centre of medical and other facilities.
He added that these mosques should be given the status of community centres. Caretaker Federal Minister Health Dr Nadeem Jan, Punjab Health Minister Dr Jamal Nasir, Minister Auqaf Sayed Azfar Ali Nasir, Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Abdul Khabeer Azad, Joint Secretary Ahmad Nadeem, Secretary Auqaf Dr Tahir Raza Bukhari and others were also present. Aneeq Ahmed said that medical camp had been established at historic Badshahi Masjid and other mosques of big cities like Karachi, Rawalpindi and Islamabad in which dentists, ultrasound, sugar screening and other facilities are being provided free of cost to people. He vowed that the scope of these facilities and camps would be extended to other areas of the country soon.
He said that all provincial department concerned are playing an active role for establishing and maintaining free medical camps; however, continuity and commitment are important for provision of the best medical facilities to people.
The religious minister appealed to consider mosques in the lists of priorities as these could play an effective role in developing and establishing healthy society.
He termed education and health the major aspects of any society and stressed the need to extend great importance toward these vital sectors.
Well-being is not an inheritance but a process of continuity that is achieved over time, he added. Caretaker Federal Health Minister Dr Nadeem Jan commended the initiatives undertaken in the health sector, expressing confidence that these efforts would yield positive outcomes in future. He went beyond conventional views, emphasising that the Prophets Mosque in Madinah served not only as a place of worship but as a vital component of the societal system, addressing diverse matters concurrently. The minister conveyed his aspiration to replicate this system in mosques nationwide, drawing inspiration from the organizational structure at the Prophets Mosque.
He underscored the continuous endeavors of his ministry to foster a healthy and prosperous society.
Dr. Nadim Jan shed light on the multifaceted role of mosques, envisioning a society marked by happiness, educational advancement, progress, and tranquility, all propelled by the influential and powerful voice emanating from the mosques pulpit.