PESHAWAR: The Christian community celebrated Christmas with religious zeal in different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa amid tight security during mass service in the churches on Saturday.

The law-enforcement agencies were on high alert and security measures were taken outside the churches.

Members of the Christian community greeted each other and the religious gatherings were arranged at various locations.

In Peshawar, the churches were decorated and the community people, including women, offered special prayers for development and prosperity of the country.

Offers special prayers for country’s prosperity

The participants, especially the women and children, were dressed in traditional red robes attributed to Santa Claus for Christmas mass.

According to the community people, the Christmas festivities began with the midnight services where worshipers offered prayers for peace and stability of the country.

Besides cake cutting ceremonies, the community members exchanged gifts. During the ceremonies, the spacious halls of churches resonated with a chorus of hymns and Christmas carols and the participants enjoyed the moments.

The Christmas was celebrated in about 40 churches in the provincial metropolis. Main gatherings were held in All Saints Church, Saint Joseph’s Catholic Church, Cathedral Church and Saint Michael Catholic Church, which were fully illuminated.

The prayers were also offered in churches located at Swato Phatak, Sufaid Dheri, Peshtakhara, Christian Colony, Zargarabad, Yakatoot, Academy Town, Tehkal, Gulbahar, Landi Kotal and Jamrud.

The community people gathered at their worship places also offered special prayers for those who lost their lives in terror attacks, particularly those killed during the twin-suicide bombings inside the All Saints Church at Kohati Gate in 2013.

The biggest Christmas mass was held at St John’s Cathedral where Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters, the Bishop of Peshawar, led the main congregation. The congregation at All Saints Church Kohati was led by Father Shehzad Murad. They preached interfaith harmony and peaceful co-existence.

“We usually start preparations for the Christmas with the start of December. Our people enthusiastically take part in the decorations of the worship places as a religious obligation,” the participants said.

Some participants at a church in Swati Gate told this correspondent that the community people visited their relatives and friends and entertained guests at their homes with different food items, prepared specially for the day.

About their demands, the people urged the government to extend financial support to the bereaved families and survivors of the bomb blasts.

They said many of the survivors of the twin-blasts at All Saints Church were still facing health problems.

In Charsadda, Christmas was celebrated in Shabqadar with a cake cutting ceremony and the people offered prayers.

Similarly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz arranged a cake cutting ceremony at its provincial secretariat in Peshawar on Saturday. Besides provincial president Amir Muqam, a number of senior activists and elected representatives participated in the ceremony.

They also celebrated the birthday of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Mr Muqam talked about significance of the day, saying that his party was fully determined to follow the mission of the founder of Pakistan despite facing many hardships.

In Bajaur, the Christmas festival was celebrated with religious zeal on Saturday.

A function in this regard was held at the residence of local Christian community president Parvez Maseh in Civil Colony, Khar, which was attended by members of the Christian community and their families.

Newly-elected chairman of Khar village council, Haji Anwar Hussain, was chief guest on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2021