Pakistan committed against xenophobia, religious intolerance: FM

ISLAMABAD : Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Pakistan will continue to advance international efforts to protect individuals against xenophobia, intolerance, discrimination and violence based on religion or belief. In a message on the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief on Saturday, the foreign minister said that Pakistan has always been at the forefront of all international initiatives for promoting peace, tolerance, inter-cultural and inter-faith harmony. He said the present government has taken a number of steps domestically to promote freedom on the basis of religion or belief and protect minorities.International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief was observed across the world on Saturday. A report has pointed out that atrocities in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK) and India continue to surface. The report said that demographic change in IOK is proof that India targets people because of their faith. The report maintained that killing and torture of Indian Muslims in the garb of cow slaughter is a scar on the concept of civilized world. It also said that the RSS-inspired BJP government is planning ethnic cleansing of Muslims through discriminatory laws like Citizenship Amendment Act, the National Population Register, and National Register of Citizens.