RAWALPINDI: Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs Sardar Ramesh Singh Arora has said Christmas celebrations will start from December 14 as the provincial government was paying special attention on the welfare of the non-Muslim segments of society.

He said a rally will be held in Lahore on Sunday (today) in which prominent personalities from all religions will participate. He stated this during a Christmas event held at Christ Church Rawalpindi.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Arora said, “Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is the protector of the rights of minorities. The renovation of religious places of worship of minorities is underway at the provincial level.”

He said minorities enjoyed complete religious freedom in Pakistan. In the light of the vision of the chief minister, work is underway for the welfare of minorities. “The budget of the ministry has been increased by 300 per cent to ensure the welfare of minorities.”

Moreover, he said, the largest social safety net programme had been launched under which 75,000 minority cards had been distributed.

He said the Punjab government officially celebrated minority religious festivals, including Baisakhi, Holi, Diwali, Christmas and Easter. Grants for these occasions were increased to Rs366 million. New grants were introduced for Easter, Diwali and Baisakhi with each family receiving Rs10,000 to Rs15,000.

“The Sikh Marriage Act 2024 was also passed by the Punjab Assembly while the Hindu Marriage Act 2017 was fully implemented in 2025 after years of delay,” he said, adding 5pc quota had been reserved for minorities in government jobs.

For the first time, 15 young men and women from religious minorities have been enrolled in the Civil Services Academy for CSS preparation, with all expenses covered by the Department of Human Rights and Minorities Affairs. Scholarships worth Rs60 million have also been allocated for minority students, he said.

Published in Dawn, December 14th, 2025