British High Commissioner Jane Marriott hosts 12 faiths at interfaith Iftar dinner

Celina Ali

Islamabad: British High Commissioner Jane Marriott this week hosted an Iftar dinner at the British High Commission, for leading members of different religious communities across Pakistan to celebrate the country’s rich cultural diversity.

Over 80 people from 12 faiths, including heritage experts working to promote cultural and religious diversity in Pakistan, attended the Iftar.

At the event, religious leaders broke bread together and discussed issues surrounding tolerance, acceptance and inclusion amongst Pakistan’s multi-faith and multi-cultural groups.

High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to Pakistan, Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne, represented followers of the Buddhist faith at the Iftar, which has a rich history in Pakistan.

Dr Saveera Prakash, the first Hindu woman to contest elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the 2024 General Elections, delivered a speech describing her campaigning experience and stressed interfaith harmony in Pakistan.

British High Commissioner, Jane Marriott CMG OBE , said: “Today’s interfaith Iftar was a wonderful reminder of the white in Pakistan’s flag. Pakistan is home to a rich diversity of religious communities, and breaking bread together allowed us to discuss important issues of peace and harmony.”

Chief Guest on the occasion Minister for Human Rights, Azam Nazeer Tarar said: “Pakistan is proud of its rich cultural and religious traditions, seeing freedom of belief and interfaith harmony as key to our democracy. I’m excited to join the interfaith iftar by the British High Commission, uniting leaders of different faiths, and look forward to closer cooperation with the UK.”