KARACHI – Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday reached Karachi on a two-day visit, where he attended an Holi celebration organised by the Hindu community.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister extended his greetings to Hindus on the event, adding that the festival spread love everywhere.”It is a crime to convert someone into another religion forcefully,” he said, adding that messengers gave education of religion, but did not forcedpeople.
He added that all the religious communities living in Pakistan enjoyed equal rights and reiterated his resolve to safeguards their rights. “Everyone is free to offer their religious activities in the country.”
The Prime Minister said, “Islam does not believe in any discrimination on the basis of religion,” adding that, “Islam gives equal importance to the lives and properties of every individual”.
Nawaz Sharif said that Pakistan was not created to confront any religion, but to avoid any religious confrontation.
Nawaz Sharif said peace has greatly been restored in Karachi and in the future, strict laws will be made to take the lawbreakers to the task.
Soon after his arrival, the PM spoke at a meeting and assured that the work on the circular railway will resume soon and that it will become part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He said that the federal government will provide 50 percent funds to Sindh government for the K4 project which deals with distribution of water.
Nawaz Sharif, along with a delegation that includes Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique and federal minister Kamran Michael arrived Karachi where Governor Sindh Mohammad Zubair and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah welcomed them.
