Children present a tableau during the ‘Welcome Christmas event’ in Islamabad on Sunday. — White Star
Children present a tableau during the ‘Welcome Christmas event’ in Islamabad on Sunday. — White Star

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the capital, both Christians and Muslims were invited to a church to attend a ‘Welcome Christmas event’ which is held on Dec 1 and considered as the formal beginning of the Christmas celebrations in Pakistan.

The event held at under-construction Full Gospel Assembly Church in G-8/1 was attended by people from all walks of life, including politicians and educationists.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Syed Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari while speaking to the participants said the government would support Christmas celebrations as it was the vision of Quaid-i-Azam to uplift minorities and the same was being implemented by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

“Though Sikhs are in a smaller number in Pakistan, the PTI government decided to accept their demand to set up the Kartarpur Corridor. Christians are in a large number in the country and the government would take every possible step to address their issues,” he said.

Christians, Muslims come together to participate in formal beginning of Christmas celebrations

Mr Bukhari assured the participants that he would play his role to provide supervision of the government for construction of the third largest church of the federal capital.

Pastor Salamat Masih said the event was held with an aim to spread the message of love.

“There are a number of commonalities in Muslims and Christians such as we say Jesus Christ and you say Hazrat Essa but we both believe in him. We should focus on the commonalities in both religions so that we can live peacefully and prosper together,” he said.

Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Capital Development Authority (CDA) Ali Nawaz Awan said not only both Muslims and Christians were living peacefully in the federal capital but their issues and problems were also same.

“It is unfortunate that residents of the capital don’t get jobs in other provinces. However, when jobs in the federal capital are advertised, it is announced that there is a quota of all provinces. I have been pushing for legislation to give BPS 1 to 15 jobs in Islamabad only to the residents of the federal capital,” he said.

He said though five per cent quota in jobs had to be given to minorities, even that was not being implemented.

“There are some issues between CDA and Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad but I hope that things would improve soon,” he said.

Mr Awan announced that water filtration plants would be installed in slums of the federal capital.

A representative of the church, Mehboob Alam, told Dawn that though welcome Christmas events started in other countries much earlier, in Pakistan they began from Dec 1.

“This time it was decided that Muslims should also be invited to the event so that people belonging to both the religions would understand each other,” he said.

He said there were two churches in Islamabad - Our Lady of Fatima Church in F-8 and the Saint Thomas Church in G-7.

“In 2010, the CDA allotted four kanals for Full Gospel Assembly Church in G-8/1 where we have so far constructed a temporary building and are collecting funds and donations for its completion. We need support of the government for completion of the building,” he said.

There is also a church in Diplomatic Enclave but it is not accessible to most of the residents of the capital.

Mr Alam said the construction of a new church would give a message to the international community that the government cared about minorities.

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2019

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