Fakhar Zaman declares 2014 year of peace, tolerance

LAHORE: World Punjabi Congress (WPC) Chairman Fakhar Zaman has returned from Europe where he had detailed meetings with the presidents of the International Sufi Councils of various countries. 

It was decided that 2014 would be the year of peace and tolerance. It was further decided that international conferences on peace would be held throughout 2014 in Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Austria, UK, Norway, France, Finland, Poland and India. 

The groundbreaking conference would be held in Pakistan in December in Lahore, he said, adding that the culminating conference would again be in held in Pakistan in Islamabad in 2014.

The topics of these conferences would include ‘Writers and Peace’, ‘Culture and Peace’, ‘Sufism and Tolerance’, ‘Interfaith Harmony’, ‘Art and Peace’, ‘Media and Peace’ and ‘International Organisations and Peace’. 

Fakhar Zaman said this while talking to the executive councils of the ISC and WPC, shortly after his arrival from abroad. He further said that showing of documentaries in English on Sufi poets of Pakistan, exhibitions of paintings on the themes of peace and tolerance and cultural programmes showcasing music of different provinces would be arranged in the festival of peace. 

He said that it was estimated that about 100 delegates from abroad and 200 delegates from Pakistan would participate in this unique international moot. He said he was trying to raise funds for the conference from international donors and would also request the federal and Punjab governments to come forward for financial assistance. The conference secretariat would be established after Ramazan in Lahore.