Pakistan - News and Discussion 6

[acharya]

Saturday, July 01, 2006
Minorities’ holy sites in Pakistan being well cared for, says Shujaat

Staff Report

LAHORE: Minorities’ religious sites here are well taken care off and hopefully mosques in India are also protected, said Pakistan Muslim League (PML) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain on Friday.

The PML president was addressing a ceremony starting the conservation and restoration of Katas Raj, Hindu religion’s second largest place of worship. He said the PML had taken steps to promote interfaith harmony. “Restoring the Hindus’ religious place of worship is part of the process,” he added.

Shujaat said the PML had invited Indian political and religious leaders to Pakistan to promote people-to-people contact and the peace process. The government would take measures to the preserve, conserve and protect all religious sites, he added.

Punjab Chief Minster Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi said the Punjab government had taken over Katas Raj from the federal government and would restore it to its original form. “The restoration will promote tourism and create goodwill for Muslims in India,” he said. He also hoped New Delhi would protect Muslims’ religious sites in India.

The government had allocated funds for Katas Raj’s restoration of which Rs 30 million had been released, said Elahi. A tourist corner would also be established for international visitors, he said.