Peshawar: Sikh community joins Muslims to distribute 'iftari'

The Sikh community has joined Muslims here to distribute 'iftaris', the sunset meal to break the dawn-to-dusk fast during Ramzan, to promote religious harmony and tolerance in Pakistan.
At Aasia Gate, Sikh businessman Sahib Singh has set up a stall outside his medicine shop to dole out sweet-drinks, 'lassi' and food to fasting Muslims.
"The objective behind distributing iftari items is to promote the concept of inter-faith harmony in our country," he said. Singh has also arranged food for the needy.
A former councillor, Singh said he wanted to apprise Muslims that his community accorded full reverence to their religious rituals. "This is the spirit of interfaith harmony," he said.

Singh said he also wanted tell the world that religious tolerance exists in Pakistan where people from different faiths and beliefs respect each other and accord reverence to religious festivals.
"The Hindu community has also decided to start the practice of bringing people of different faiths nearer to each other," Founding Member Council of Pakistan World of Religion, Haroon Sarbdial, said.

Sarbdial said we are planning to hold iftari at different places in Peshawar and waiting for Maulana Qureshi, the Imam of the Masjid Mohabat Khan, who is in Saudi Arabia for performance of Umra, to arrive.
He said because of this spirit, people in this region reside together in harmony.

The Hindu community has made iftari arrangements, like in Peshawar, for Muslims in Sindh province, Sarbdial said.
"This is the real face of Pakistan and its people who have great regard and reverence for each other, regardless of difference of faith and believes," he said.