Religious tolerance: Ban on hate content to be enforced

LAHORE: Strict action will be taken against those who violate Ittehad Bainul Muslimeen Committee’s code of conduct for maintaining religious harmony and tolerance, Auqaf and Religious Affairs Secretary Saqib Aziz said on Sunday. The government has chalked out a plan to ensure effective monitoring in this regard. Aziz said that the code of conduct had been issued with the unanimous approval of coordinators from all schools of religious thought. The code, he said, ensured that no one would hurt religious sentiments, incite hatred or provoke violence. The ban on the use of loudspeakers except to call for prayers and Friday sermons will be enforced, he said. Religious leaders will also have to seek permission to hold mass congregations from the local authorities, he said. There will be a strict ban on the publication and distribution of books, pamphlets, literature, cassettes and websites putting out hate content, he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 9^th, 2013.