Govt Trying To Minimise Hardships Of Minorities, Says Minister.

Lahore -- Federal Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Minister Mufti Abdul Shakoor inaugurated the Data Center at Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) office here Sunday.

Talking to media, he said that the newly-established data center will maintain all the ETPB properties and lands, record of leased land, and profits calculations.

He said that the ministry for religious affairs was striving to minimize the minorities' hardships by ensuring strict monitoring of evacuee lands through digitalization. He was of the view that today digitalization was a must to attain speedy development, citing that one can access the relevant information on computer screen easily.

He added that as a Pakistani, everyone must play his due role in curbing the corrupt practices to help save the properties of the minorities.

He lauded the ETPB for establishing data center, asserting that the entire department is being shifted to modern technology through digitalization.

To a question, the minister said that 100 percent record of the trusted land had been put online so that all record was visible for public.

The ETPB Data Center has been completed with the cooperation of Huawei.

About Hajj, he said that that present coalition government gave a historic subsidy to Hajj pilgrims despite huge economic challenges. He added that when he took over the charge as minister, he was informed that the Hajj cost had reached up to Rupees one million.

'However, after a month-long hectic efforts and negotiations, we have succeeded in making low cost agreements for Hajj with the Saudi government, as well as eliminated the role of middle man, and subsequently managed to bring down the Hajj expenditure to Rs 600,000,' he claimed.

To another question, he said that the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was an independent body and no one can pressurize it to announce Eid. The government's role is just providing it to facilitate and assist, he maintained.

Later, ETPB Chairman Habibur Rehman Gilani briefed the media that the Data Centre would manage the record of around...