’Tis the season: Xmas marked at UET campus

UET vice chancellor says peace and harmony need of the hour

LAHORE: Islam preaches tolerance and gives minorities their rights, University of Engineering and Technology (UET) Vice Chancellor (VC) Fazal Ahmad Khalid said on Thursday.

Khalid made the remarks at an event organised at the varsity’s Chemical Seminar Hall to mark Christmas. The VC said ensuring the safety of UET’s Christian employees was the foremost priority of the varsity. Khalid said the varsity believed in striving to secure minorities’ rights and overcoming the barriers of caste, creed and colour.

“Every religion furthers the message of brotherhood. One gets the same message from Christianity. Our nation has been suffering from terrorism and incidents of racism. Peace and harmony is the need of the hour,” he said.

Khalid said the people should act on the counsel of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. He said the nation should unite to foil the nefarious designs of its enemies. Khalid called on those present to promote harmony and tolerance in accordance with the basic tenets of their respective religions and exhort others to follow suit. “Islam calls on one to respect other faiths,” he said.

The VC said Pakistani Christians had been striving for national development across every field.

He said the community had been striving for national prosperity in addition to participating in the independence struggle.

Muhammad Arif, a professor, appreciated the services rendered by the Christian employees of the varsity. He said the UET would continue to strive to secure their rights and work for their betterment.

The varsity’s Christian employees thanked the VC.

They said they felt happy to see that the university had joined them to partake in Christmas festivities.

UET Architecture Department Dean Ghulam Abbas was also present on the occasion.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 25^th, 2015.