LAHORE: A three-month peace campaign launched by the Ministry of Human Rights and Minorities Affairs in collaboration with a non-government organisation has proved effective and yielded positive results, claims Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine.

Mr Augustine said there was a notable change in people’s behaviours and the blame game against various sects was diminishing fast.

The need for such an initiative was felt when Shia pilgrims returning from Iran and the members of Tableeghi Jamaat were stigmatised for being carriers of Covid-19 and causing its spread, stated a press release on Wednesday.

Shahid Rehmat, executive director of the Youth Development Foundation that collaborated with the ministry, shared that peace messages of leaders from various faiths and sects and other notables were recorded and aired on TV and radio channels, cable television networks etc.

The messages stressed on facing the challenges together and avoiding baseless allegations against each other.

Moreover, billboards, banners and streamers carrying these messages were displayed in Lahore, Okara, Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan.

Published in Dawn, August 20th, 2020