Like other parts of the world, the Christian community celebrates Christmas on Monday (today) across Pakistan with traditional zeal and enthusiasm.
Special programs will be held in churches across the country including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, and Peshawar to celebrate the festival.
Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar felicitated the Christian community on the occasion of Christmas and said the nation on this day should pledge to make Pakistan a model of religious tolerance and inter-faith harmony.
In a message on the occasion of Christmas, he said, “The Christian community is celebrating Christmas in Pakistan and across the world and I and the whole nation felicitate the Christian brothers and sisters on the happy occasion of Christmas. Christmas is the name of love, brotherhood, patience, and sacrifice.”
These values were critical in putting a society on the path of development, he added.
The PM said the Prophet of Allah, Hazrat Essa (AS) healed the pain of humanity and took the message of God to the whole humanity.
In the last few years at the international level, human society had been facing an adverse situation due to a wave of religious intolerance, he observed.
“To reverse this negative trend we have to spread Hazrat Essa’s message of brotherhood and religious tolerance and follow his teachings to make the world a cradle of peace. In this way we can forever end hatred from the world,” he remarked.
He said the white color in Pakistan’s green flag represented the minorities including the Christian community which played a vital role in the progress and development of the country, and in all fields including defence, judiciary, arts, sports, and education made their countrymen proud.
The prime minister said the Christian community laid down their lives for strengthening the foundation of the country and for its integrity and solidarity.
He said in the Quaid of Pakistan every person had complete religious freedom and the constitution of Pakistan provided special protection to minorities, adding every citizen was given equal rights and they had complete freedom of worship and had liberty to perform religious rituals and celebrate religious occasions.
Residential colonies have been decorated with twinkling lights and stars. Wreaths were hung outside stores buzzing with last-minute shopping on Christmas Eve.
The government in all parts of the country has provided advance salaries and leaves to the Christians to join their religious festivity with happiness and peace while security arrangements have also been made for the holy places of the Christian community.
Almost all churches have been decorated with colorful lights and illuminated with Christmas trees.
The government has made elaborative security arrangements to avert any untoward incident on this occasion.
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of Christians around the world. Christmas Day is a public holiday in many countries.
Popular holiday traditions include gift giving; completing an Advent calendar or Advent wreath; Christmas music and caroling; watching Christmas movies; viewing a Nativity play; an exchange of Christmas cards; attending church services; a special meal; and displaying various Christmas decorations including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.
