Pak keen to protect holy sites of other faiths to promote religious tourism: Speaker Qaiser

Addressing a delegation of Hindu pilgrims from across the world that visited Parliament on Monday, Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser said on Monday that religious minorities were a vital part of Pakistan and the government was taking concrete measures to ensure their fundamental rights are safeguarded.

Peshawar: Pakistan is committed to protecting and preserving the holy sites of other faiths to promote religious tourism, Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser said on Monday as he lauded the minority communities for their "commendable" services to the country's progress.

Addressing a delegation of Hindu pilgrims from across the world that visited Parliament on Monday, Qaiser said the religious minorities were a vital part of Pakistan and the government was taking concrete measures to ensure their fundamental rights are safeguarded.

"I warmly welcome Hindu pilgrims to Pakistan. Pakistan respects minorities & is a harbinger of peace. The services rendered by minorities in the country's progress are commendable. Govt is committed to protect & preserve religious sites of other faiths & facilitate foreign visitors,” he said in a tweet.

Pakistan is rich in tourism potential and the government has taken an initiative to promote and facilitate religious tourism in the country, he said.

Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker and patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who was part of the delegation's visit to Parliament, appreciated Speaker Qaiser for his support for the minorities.

Vankwani said the delegation will visit all Hindu sites across the country.

Head of Hindu delegation Kundan Bai appreciated the government for preserving the religious places.

Over 200 Hindu pilgrims from India, the US and the Gulf region prayed at the 100-year-old renovated Maharaja Paramhans Ji mandir in northwest Pakistan on Sunday.

Among the delegation, 157 pilgrims were from India who performed their rituals and left for holy sites in Hasan Abdal in Punjab province on Sunday.

The pilgrims will stay in Pakistan for four days.

A delegation of Pakistani Hindus will visit shrines in India later this month, officials said here on Sunday, as the government encourages religious tourism for minorities in the country.

Last year in November, a group of 60 Pakistani devotees visited the Nizamuddin Auliya shrine in New Delhi as part of the annual Urs – commemorating the death anniversary of the Sufi saint.

PTI