ISLAMABAD: Canadian High Commissioner Andrew Turner said on Saturday that the doctrine of reasonable accommodation could counter the phenomenon of xenophobes, which he described as individuals who have never been exposed to people from other backgrounds.

Mr Turner said Canada allowed Sikhs to wear their turbans proudly, as long as it did not impede their function or the public interest.

He said the idea of Canada is to embrace diversity in all forms and to promote pluralism through all systems.

He was speaking at the closing ceremony of the Pakistan Centre of Excellence (PACE) initiative, launched by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS).

`This mentality had allowed Canada to overcome xenophobia, improve social cohesion and celebrate diversity,` Mr Turner said.

He added that Canada could serve as an example for Pakistan, which has rich diversity across a variety of vectors.

CRSS Executive Director Imtiaz Gul said Pakistan can learn from how Canada has adjusted itself to the challenges that had emerged from fallout of 9/11. He highlighted the legal and administrative system that Canadians adopted, in which the paramount guiding principle for the state was public interest. `Pakistan needs to do the same,` Mr Gul said.

Among the public intellectuals who interacted with participating university lecturers and professors from different universities across Pakistan were Shiraz Paracha, Tahira Abdullah, Charles James Petrie, Dr Rasul Baksh Raees, Qibla Ayaz, Puruesh Chaudhary, Humaira Masiuddin and Safiullah Gul.

The discussion focused primarily on the rule of law, tolerance, diversity, fundamental human rights, equal citizenry, democracy and governance.