LAHORE  -  Provincial Minister for Minorities Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora Tuesday chaired an important meeting with Ambassador of the Netherlands, Henny de Vries. During the meeting, importance of mutual cooperation and collaboration in the fields of human rights and protection of religious minorities in Punjab was emphasised. Consul General Lahore Asma Hamid, Senior Policy Officer Embassy Hina Idrees and Secretary Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ali Bahadur Qazi were also present. The provincial minister highlighted the Punjab government’s efforts to ensure protection and equal rights of religious minorities. The minister mentioned that for the first time in history, HR&MA department would be the first institution in any province to formulate its five-year strategic plan. Additionally, he shared that the chief minister Punjab had provided special grants at the Diwali celebrations, increased the budget for minorities by 200 per cent and announced the issuance of minority cards for 50,000 families in the near future. For the first time, scholarships were being provided to minority children from matriculation to PhD levels, and the two per cent quota for higher education was being implemented, he added. Arora also emphasised the need for international support in strengthening global human rights framework and said that the Punjab government was committed to creating a society where people of all religions could freely practice their beliefs without facing any form of discrimination. He further discussed the department’s capacity-building efforts and requested support from the Netherlands for training staff through various technical courses. The Ambassador Netherlands praised the Punjab government’s initiatives in promoting religious tolerance and harmony and reiterated the Netherlands’ commitment to supporting human rights globally. She assured full cooperation in capacity-building efforts and emphasised the importance of policy to address challenges faced by minorities. The ambassador expressed the desire to explore further avenues for cooperation between the Punjab government and the Netherlands in the areas of human rights, interfaith dialogue and protection of religious minorities.