PESHAWAR: Rawandar Singh, a 42-year-old Sikh, is all smiles and exudes high spirit of sharing and compassion as he seeks solace in doling out dates and pakoras among fasting Muslims during Iftar on returning home from his shop in Hashtnagri area here.

Wearing the traditional turban, Rawandar has been distributing packets of dates and other edible items among the fasting Muslims in Hashtnagri Bazaar since 2012.

Rawandar`s father, Awtah Sindh started this noble practice and later passed this on tohis son.

`I feel inner peace and satisfaction while doing the noble practice in the holy month of Ramazan.

`The soothing movement of distributing Iftar items, including dates,pakoras,jalebiand otherfood dishes are still alive as fresh as today when I keenly observe my late father Awtah Singh handing over packets of Iftar food to Muslim brothers all along from Hashtnagri to Mohallah Jogan Ramdas in interior city, Rawandar told this news agency, while distributing dates and pakoras among Muslims ahead of Iftar.

`I strongly believe in interfaith harmony, love and brotherhood.

Distribution of food in Ramazan is our mark of respect and admiration for our fasting Muslim brothers and sisters, besides giving us inner peace and satisfaction,` Rawandar, who is being helped by his son in doling out dates and pakoras, said.

Dewa Singh and his son, TajindarSingh, who are associated with telecommunication business in Hashtnagri, said inviting people of different faiths in Iftar parties in Pakistan sends a strong message of love and brotherhood to world.

`Without winning hearts and minds, we cannot come closer to each other and cannot develop a society whose inhabitants enjoy equal rights and respect each other`s faith,` they said.

`Arranging Iftar parties and Ramazan camps for Muslims is not a new practice for us. Our forefathers did the same thing to express warmth, love and friendship to our Muslim brothers of Peshawar during Ramazan,` they said, adding they were serving Iftar foods to dozens of fasting persons on daily basis, and vowed to continue to do so in remaining days of the holy month.

Roadside Iftar parties are seen at Qissa Khawani, University Road, Lady Reading Hospital, Takhto Jumat Cantonment, Tehkal, Spin Jumat and Ramadas, where philanthropists invite people of different faiths for joint Iftar parties in an environment of sharing, friendship and care.

The long sheets filled with food, dates, pakoras, jalebi snacks, fruits and sweet beverages get fully occupied by the passerby, labourers and other segments of the society irrespective of caste, colour and creed.

Haroon Sarbdayal, a representative of Hindu community in Khyber Pakthunkhwa, and a founding member of Pakistan Council ofWorld Religions, said that all prophets andfounders of allreligions had promoted peace, forgiveness, patience, love and tolerance through their teachings, actions and deeds.

He said that misperceptions among followers of different faiths could be removed by enhancing interaction and dialogue among all religious communities.

`We need to promote acceptance instead of tolerance because the former is more effective in establishing durable peace, patience, and pluralism in a prosperous society, Sarbdayal said.

He said that Ramazan was the month of tolerance and patience in which Hindu community has started arranging Iftar parties for their Muslim brothers in Sindh.

In Peshawar, he said a grand Iftar party would be arranged in last Ashra of Ramazan where leaders of all religions would be invited.

He suggested establishment of a common study centre for followers of all religions where they could interact and understand each other`s religion.

Maulana Tayyab Qureshi, Chief Khateeb of KP, highly appreciated the minorities` goodwill gestures of arranging Iftar parties and Dastarkhwans for the fasting people. He said these noble practices brought Muslims and minorities closer besides increasing their understanding about each other`s faiths. APP