President, PM felicitate Christians on Christmas

ISLAMABAD: Felicitating the Christian community in Pakistan and across the world on Christmas, President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that it was the day to reiterate the universal teachings of patience, tolerance, kindness and goodwill, not only for the Christians but the whole mankind.

In his message on Christmas being celebrated today (Monday), the president said peace and happiness can be brought back to the world, which was engaged in conflict of interests and wars by adopting these virtues.

“The lesson that we learn from the teachings of the Jesus Christ is that life and property of all people living on this planet should be given equal respect and protection without discriminating on the basis of colour, cast, region and belief,” he said.

He said human beings should not be made fuel for fighting wars for materialistic interests but instead the valuable resources should be spent on the welfare and development of humanity. This is the best way to commemorate Jesus Christ, he added.

He said the services rendered by the Christian community of Pakistan for progress and stability of the country particularly in the fields of medicine and education are greatly valued by the people and government of Pakistan. He said the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees equal rights for all minority communities including the Christian brethren and the government is fulfilling its constitutional and moral responsibilities in this regard.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi felicitated the Christian community from across the globe on Christmas, appreciating the efforts of Pakistan’s Christian community for socio-economic development of their homeland.

“We are proud of our Christian brethren; they are an integral part of our multicultural polity; and I am confident that their patriotic contributions will continue to accelerate the pace of Pakistan’s progress,” he said in his message on the occasion of Christmas to being celebrated today (Monday). He said much more than festivity and celebration, the spirit of Christmas was to share, to reach out, and to love all humanity.

Premier Abbasi said Jesus Christ brought and preached the message of peace, brotherhood and love for the whole humanity. He guided people towards virtuous living and urged them to seek divine mercy. As a divine messenger, Jesus Christ was venerable to adherents of all religions, he added.

He also paid the highest tribute to the sacrifices made by the Christian brethren in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism. “Our commitment to this fundamental principle is firmly grounded in the teachings of Islam, the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the inviolable guarantees of our Constitution,” he remarked.