A Christian legal advocacy group in the UK has voiced its concerns over a new Pakistani bill that makes Quranic teachings mandatory in all schools and colleges.
The bill was passed unanimously last Friday despite the delays to it being heard.
The National Assembly and the Senate had already passed the compulsory teaching of Holy Quran bill in 2017.
Nasir Saeed, Director of CLAAS-UK, which is a part of charity Christians from Pakistan, expressed his concern about the bill and said: "It is sad that for minorities, especially Christians who are living in large numbers in Punjab, their religious and fundamental rights are totally ignored.
"No alternative programme has been announced for non-Muslim students of Punjab.
"It will promote bigotry and hatred against non-Muslims in Pakistani society, something which is already on the rise."
The bill's objectives state it will "make the divine message understood, ensure the response of society, encourage peace and tranquility, promote the supreme human values of truth, honesty, integrity, character building, tolerance, understanding others' point of view and way of life".
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Article by Eno Adeogun
Eno Adeogun is a multimedia journalist for Premier.
