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PR
No. 161 Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani contacted the son of Qazi Hussain Ahmad on telephone to inquire about the health of his father Qazi Hussain Ahmad and prayed for his early recovery. The Prime Minister also telephoned Mr. Zahir Shah, Provincial Health Minister NWFP and asked him to see Qazi Hussain Ahmad on his behalf to inquire about his health and ensure best medical care for him. **PMCO/Ahmad**
PR No. 162 “The overall vision of Population Policy is to achieve population stabilization by 2020 through the expeditious completion of the demographic transition that entails declines both in fertility and mortality rates”, says the Federal Minister for Population Welfare while talking to the journalists at Lahore. She further said that the Ministry is striving to help family planning services and improving the overall status of women. The most important of actions include: expanding family planning concept, health services, generating positive approach among public and political officials, organizing effective media campaign, improve existing service quality, involving men by providing reproductive services, strong stress on women social status and education, involving religious leaders voice to endorse the programmes and the role of donor agencies to continue to support a struggling economy. We hope that vision of the present government will help greatly improve female status in Pakistan, she further elaborated. She also informed that coupled with poor human development indicators such as low literacy, high infant mortality and low economic growth rates, high growth rate of population will undermine efforts being undertaken to reduce poverty and to improve the standards of living of the populace. Arresting rapid population growth and achieving stabilization is a gigantic yet essential task. **SNA/Ahmad**
Federal Minister for Religious Affairs, Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi has said that the present government is fully determined to promote interfaith harmony and to remove all misunderstandings amongst the various communities living in Pakistan. He said that religion Islam teaches peace and tranquility. Pakistan is perusing the teaching of our Holy Prophet (PBUH) to provide liberty and freedom to all minorities living in this country to practice their religion without fear. He added that Pakistan is lone country in the world that having less than 5% minorities, a separate full Ministry, headed by a Minister of a minority community, is working to look after the affairs of minorities including Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs etc in the country. The Minister made these observations while talking to a 21-members delegation of Bishop and Ulemas of Philippine, led by Ms. Isabel G. Tobias, Secretary General, Presidential Council on Interfaith Initiatives, which called on him here today. Federal Secretary, Religious Affairs, Serwar Raza Qazalbash, President, International Islamic University, Mr. Anwar Hussain and senior officers of the Ministry were present on this occasion. He was of the opinion that peace and Islam were derived from the same root and were considered synonymous. All religions preach peace in all respects of life at individual, family, community, national and international levels, he added. The Minister viewed that the Muslims have to practice Islam as a progressive religion with emphasis on balance, due proportion and tolerance, the non Muslim need to review their role in the international politics and base it on solid foundations of justice and fair play. He informed the delegation that there should be a more enlightened and objective inter-civilizational dialogue and discourse. Once there is a greater familiarity on this account, there would be greater tolerance of the diversities and peculiarities of the cultures, values, hopes and aspiration of each other, he added. The minister further said that media can play a vital role in bringing about greater harmony and building a good equation between the Muslim World and the non-Muslim World for which there has to be a will in the formal as well as informal sector. The Minister also condemned the present wave of terrorism and informed the delegation that Pakistan is main target of terrorist’s activities but we are fighting against terrorism. In general, the Muslims in Pakistan have a firm belief in their religion and they manifest their commitment to the cause of Islam in some way or the other, he concluded. The delegation appreciated the efforts of Pakistan for fighting against terrorism and promoting of interfaith harmony in the country. They also lauded the govt of Pakistan for providing equal opportunities and facilities to the minorities in Pakistan.
**AJM/Ahmad**
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