Manage, facilitate and promote inter/intra-faith harmony and tolerance amongst different segments of society as per injunctions of Islam.
Promote the tenets of Islam as enshrined in the Holy Quran & Sunnah and ensure adequate space for the minorities as guaranteed in the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs was created in October 1974. Prior to 1974 various Ministries had been dealing with hajj operations. In 1976, the subjects of Minorities Affairs and Overseas Pakistanis were merged with this Ministry, and the Ministry was renamed as “Ministry of Religious Affairs, Minorities Affairs, and Overseas Pakistanis”. They were separated from this Ministry in 1977 and 1992, respectively. However, the subjects of Minorities Affairs and Zakat & Ushr were merged with this Ministry in 1996. The Zakat & Ushr Division was again separated from this Ministry in October/November 2008. Hence, the Ministry was renamed as the Ministry of Religious Affairs. In June 2013, the erstwhile Ministry of National Harmony (devolved M/o Minorities Affairs) was merged with the Ministry of Religious Affairs and, therefore, was renamed as the Ministry of “Religious Affairs and Inter-faith Harmony”.
Under the Rules of Business 1973 (amended from time to time), the mandate/ functions of this Ministry are as under;
Formulation of Hajj Policy
Arranging the Muslim Pilgrims' visits to India
Ziarat and Umrah
Welfare and safety of pilgrims and Zaireen
Administration of Hajj Affairs and control of the Hajj Directorates within the country and the Hajj Directorate at Jeddah
Islamic studies and research including holding seminars, conferences, etc. on related subjects to the extent of Federal Areas
Training and education of Ulemas and Khatibs etc
Error-free and exact printing and publishing of the Holy Quran in the ICT
Exchange of visits of scholars of Islamic learning and education, international conferences/seminars on Islamic subjects, and liaison with foreign and international bodies and institutions
Ruet-e-Hilal
Tabligh
Observance of Islamic Moral Standards
Donations for religious purposes and propagation of Islamic Ideology abroad
Marriage and divorce, infants and minor’s adoption (to the extent of ICT)
Policy and legislation with regard to inter-faith Harmony
International agreements and commitments in respect of all religious communities and implementation thereof
Representation of Pakistan at UN Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination to Minorities.
Minorities Welfare Fund
National Commission for Minorities
Evacuee Trust Property Board