Caretaker Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aneeq Ahmed on Thursday said that countering religious extremism was a collective social responsibility. Addressing the ‘National Symposium on Multifaith Harmony and Legal Safeguards’ held at the Christchurch, he emphasized that promoting interfaith dialogue was the need of the hour. The minister stated that our history was rich, with Muslims and Christians sharing centuries together. Efforts to bridge gaps in societies must continue to prevent incidents like Jaranwala from recurring, he added. Emphasizing the importance of nurturing social harmony, he said, “We have a bright past where Muslims and Christians have spent centuries together. We need to make further efforts to foster better societies to prevent incidents like Jaranwala from happening again.” Bishop Nadeem Kamran expressed his confidence in government actions and highlighted the significance of interfaith dialogue. He stressed the need for a series of programmes to sustain an atmosphere of understanding and tolerance.