Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Chaudhary Salik Hussain held discussions with Egypt’s Grand Mufti Dr. Nazir Muhammad Ayyad and his delegation on critical global challenges, including rising religious intolerance, terrorism, and sectarianism. The meeting emphasized the need for fostering interfaith harmony, cultural dialogue, and global peace.
Chaudhary Salik Hussain highlighted the deep-rooted historical, religious, and cultural ties between Pakistan and Egypt, stressing the importance of educating the younger generation about their shared heritage. He called for unity and tolerance among Muslim countries to address the growing challenges they face and underlined the necessity of intercultural dialogue to promote respect and peace worldwide.
The Grand Mufti of Egypt acknowledged the threats posed by terrorism to the Muslim Ummah and proposed the development of a joint action plan to counter these issues. He suggested that Pakistan send scholars to Egypt to benefit from the teachings of Al-Azhar University, one of the world’s oldest educational institutions.
In a landmark decision, the establishment of an Al-Azhar University campus in Pakistan was announced to promote contemporary education. Federal Minister Hussain welcomed the initiative, assuring full cooperation for its implementation.
The meeting also concluded with an agreement to strengthen economic, trade, and cultural ties between Pakistan and Egypt, focusing on eliminating extremism and fostering religious harmony.
The gathering was attended by Egypt’s Ambassador Dr. Ahab Abdul Hamid, Secretary of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Zulfiqar Haider, and Additional Secretary Dr. Ataur Rehman.