The Khyber Pakthunkhwa government has planned 19 new projects with Rs 201.840 million's allocation for current fiscal year to further promote interfaith harmony, bolstering infrastructure and construction viz-a-viz rehabilitation of worship places and residential colonies of minorities in different districts of the province.
Religious, Auqaf and Minorities Affairs Department KP official told APP on Thursday that work on majority of these new projects were initiated besides preparations of its PC-I aimed at to further promote interfaith harmony besides providing financial assistance and scholarship to the minorities' students and prayers' leaders.
The scholarship, under the Prime Minister's Education for All Programme, is aimed at to encourage and facilitate minorities' students to continue their education in top conventional, technical and professional colleges and universities of Pakistan including Khyber Pakthunkhwa.
Rs 200 million has been announced for financial assistance and scholarships for minorities' students in budget 2021-22, he said, adding that talented students irrespective of their financial status were being encouraged to acquire education in top educational institutions including medical colleges and engineering universities across Pakistan and play constructive role in the country's building process.
The Government has announced a welfare package for minorities with allocation of Rs100 million including three million for current fiscal year besides Rs300 million project for celebration of religious festivals of minorities, holding of interfaith harmony's conferences and minorities youth exposures programs.
Work on 29 ongoing projects amounting to Rs789.160 million including Rs62.653 million each for renovation and improvement of worship places and residential colonies of minorities, Rs100 million for purchase of land for minorities' graveyards and Rs30 million for skills development scheme have been accelerated.
Similarly, a school for Sikh community in Peshawar is being constructed with an estimated cost of Rs24.716 million. In line with KP Government's decision, he said, Rs50 million were announced for financial assistance of minorities' leaders and scholarship of minorities' students besides provision of free text books to Sikh, Hindus, Christians and others minorities.
Besides announcement of Rs eight million for feasibility studies of minorities housing scheme, he said the government would spend Rs 60.200 million on establishment of three model religious seminaries in rented buildings at Koga Buner, Havalian Abbottabad and Warai Payan Dir Lower district.
Under Improvement and rehabilitation of mosques and Darul Ulooms project Phase-II amounting to Rs200 million, he said the government accelerated maintenance work on Hafiz Jee Masjid in Bannu City.
Similarly, Rs50 million for establishment of Quran Mahal, Rs100 million for computer laboratories at religious seminaries and Rs100 million for Quran Theme Park.
He said holding of 'Seerat Conference' at Peshawar in connection with Eid Miladun Nabi (SAWW) has remained highly successful as the religious scholars of different schools of thoughts participated and highlighted the life, teachings and Sunnah of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that was beacon of light for entire humanity.
The participation of a large number of people and religious scholars of different schools of thoughts in the unprecedented Eid Miladun Nabi (SAWW)'s celebrations this year has passed a strong message to sacrifices everything for supremacy of islam.
Source: Urdupoint0 COMMENTS
