Interfaith harmony: Anglican leader on trip to Pakistan

The Archbishop of Canterbury met church leaders in Pakistan As he began a week-long visit to the region.

LAHORE:

The Archbishop of Canterbury met church leaders in Pakistan on Tuesday as he began a week-long visit to the region.

Justin Welby, the leader of the world’s Anglicans, will meet Muslim leaders and senior government officials during his stay, part of a week-long tour that will also take in India and Bangladesh.

Christians are a small minority in Pakistan, where 97 per cent of the 180 million population are Muslims.

They have suffered attacks in recent years, most notoriously last September when a double suicide attack at a church in the northwestern city of Peshawar killed 82 people.

Welby met Bishop Samuel Azariah, Moderator of the Church of Pakistan, in the eastern town of Raiwind on Tuesday, a spokesman said.

Raheel Sharoon, development officer of the diocese of Raiwind, said the archbishop would also meet Punjab provincial governor Muhammad Sarwar.

“He will meet Muslim and Christian leaders tomorrow and address gatherings about interfaith harmony,” Sharoon said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 28^th, 2014.