President Alvi lauds Christian community’s sacrifices for Pakistan

Children wearing Santa Claus costumes sing in a choir during a Christmas service at Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Karachi on Dec. 22, 2018. (AFP/File)

Joseph Cardinal Coutts, Archbishop of Karachi, kisses the Bible during a Christmas Eve service at the St. Patrick Cathedral in Karachi, Pakistan on Dec. 25, 2018. (REUTERS)

A Pakistani policeman stands guard in front of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral in Karachi on Dec. 23, 2018. (AFP/File)

Pakistani Christian devotees attend a special service ahead of Christmas at the St. John’s Church in Peshawar on Dec. 23, 2018. (AFP/File)

Pakistani Christians attend a Christmas Day service at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Karachi on Dec. 25, 2018. (AFP/File)

• Vows to build a society that respects differences and celebrates diversity
• Authorities deploy additional law enforcement personnel for tighter security around Christmas

ISLAMABAD: As Christians celebrated Christmas on Tuesday in Pakistan with zeal and zest, the country’s top political leadership extended their good wishes to the community and vowed to provide equal rights and opportunities to all citizens.
Authorities, on their part, deployed additional law enforcement personnel to ensure tighter security for the occasion.
President Arif Alvi in his message extended his “warmest greetings” to the community in a statement released by his office. “Much more than festivity and celebration, the spirit of Christmas is to share, to reach out, and to love all humanity,” it read.
He commended the sincere efforts of the Christian community toward the socio-economic development of the country. “I also take this opportunity to pay a rich tribute to the sacrifices made by our Christian brethren in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism,” he said.
In his message, President Alvi added that the government of Pakistan upholds the principle of equal rights and freedom for all its citizens irrespective of caste, creed, or religion.
“We are committed to building a society that respects differences and finds strength in diversity; a nation that is tolerant and cohesive; and a state that provides equal rights and opportunities to all citizens,” he said, adding that “our Christian brethren are an integral part of our multicultural polity; and together we are building a strong and prosperous Pakistan, for ourselves and our children.”