ISLAMABAD, Sept 1: Pakistan Muslim League Secretary-General and chairman senate foreign relations committee Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed has claimed that Pakistan is the freest Muslim democracy in the world.

He said Pakistan had an active parliament, fearlessly independent press, independent judiciary and lively civil society to reflect the true spirit of democracy.

He gave credit of empowering the deprived sections of society particularly women and minorities to President Gen Pervez Musharraf while talking to a delegation of British parliamentarians at the parliament house on Thursday.

He said inter-faith dialogue between Muslims and Christians was essential to avert any possibility of “clash of civilizations” as Islamophobia was on the rise in Europe and to remove misunderstandings, Muslim world needed to enter into dialogue with Jews and Christians to end hatred on the basis of race, religion or sect.

Mr Sayed said Christian missionaries were playing an important role in imparting quality education to the people.

He recalled that some Christian educational institutions had been nationalized during the government of the PPP, but the community was now enjoying equal rights due to numerous steps taken by the government.

He also informed the delegation about PML’s separate minority wing which was headed by a Christian. The PML leader said Islam as a religious of peace and tolerance attached great reverence to other religions as respect for prophets of Judaism and Christianity was part of its faith.

He stressed the need for removing the root causes of terrorism which definitely have no religion. He asked the West to come forward to resolve the outstanding disputes namely Palestine, Iraq and Kashmir. Referring to the Muslim world, he said efforts were underway to activate the OIC to enable it project true values of Islam by rejecting extremism and terrorism. In this regard, he added, the commission of eminent persons had prepared its recommendations for presentation in the meeting of Islamic scholars and intellectual being held in Makkah on September 9.

David Drew, the leader of the British delegation, while appreciating Pakistan’s role in curbing terrorism and extremism said there was a great need for encouraging inter-faith dialogue and confidence between the followers of different religions. He said it was the joint responsibility of the world community to resolve the problems causing terrorism and extremism in the world.