Archbishop of Canterbury meets president, PM, COAS separately

ISLAMABAD/RAWALPINDI: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby held separate meetings with President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Monday.

President Dr Arif Alvi underlined the need for promoting interfaith harmony and mutual understanding to promote peaceful co-existence among the people of different religions. The world was facing various problems, and it was imperative to promote mutual respect and harmony to make the society tolerant, he added. The president expressed these views during a meeting with the Archbishop of Canterbury, UK, Most Reverend & Right Honourable, Justin Welby, here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr.

Special Representative to the Prime Minister Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, British High Commissioner Dr Christian Turner, and senior government officials were also present in the meeting.

Welcoming the Archbishop, the president said the world needed to work for the cause of humanity and peace, and take measures to alleviate miseries and sufferings of the people. He apprised that Pakistan had been hosting four million Afghan refugees, and it was also the moral responsibility of the international community to take care of them.

The Archbishop of Canterbury stated that there was a need for a new international convention to deal with the refugees’ problem. The meeting highlighted the importance of religious institutions, particularly the mosques and the church, which could play a vital role in promoting religious harmony and mutual understanding among the nations.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, meanwhile, received the Archbishop of Canterbury. The premier highlighted the importance of interfaith harmony, religious tolerance and affinity among the people of different faiths.

He reiterated his government's resolve to protect the rights of minorities as enshrined in the Constitution of Pakistan. Imran Khan conveyed that Pakistan was a culturally diverse country, and was home to various religious minorities, including Hindus and Christians and all of them were living peacefully and contributing to its development.

He lamented that minorities in India, including Muslims, were being subjected to the worst kind of religious discrimination and intolerance. The prime minister shared that his government had established the Rehmatul-lil-Alameen Authority to promote the true message of Islam, which was interfaith harmony and peaceful co-existence of the mankind.

The Archbishop of Canterbury said religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence of the mankind was need of the hour. Earlier the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby participated in the Sunday mass at Peshawar’s All Saints Church, and delivered a message of peace and religious harmony.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa acknowledged the contributions of the Christian community to defence and progress of the country while talking to Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC), Head of the Church of England and Doctor Christian Turner, British High Commissioner who called on him at GHQ here on Monday.

During the meeting, matters of mutual interest, and interfaith harmony were discussed. The COAS acknowledged the role of the Christian community in the creation of Pakistan and their contributions towards its progress.

He appreciated the role of various institutions being managed by the Christian community across Pakistan. He especially acknowledged their contributions in defence of motherland as part of the Pakistan Armed Forces.

Archbishop acknowledged Pakistan Army's efforts in combating terrorism and providing a secure environment to the minorities in the country. He also pledged that the Christian community shall contribute towards public welfare. The COAS appreciated role of various institutions in the fields of education, health and public welfare being managed by the Christian community across the country.