The government on Tuesday accepted a resolution moved by a ruling party lawmaker in the National Assembly seeking ‘closed holidays’ on the annual festivals of minority communities, including Holi, Diwali and Easter.
The resolution was moved by Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, a Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MNA, who has urged the government to take steps for notifying official holidays on religious festivals of the minorities. The resolution will pave the way for the government to declare public holidays for the country’s Hindu and Christian minorities. It is a welcome step towards giving the due rights to the minorities living in the country. This would be the very first time in the history of the country that minorities would get public holidays on their religious events.
Pakistan emerged on the map of the world with the pledge to provide rights to the minorities living in the country. The ideology laid down by the founder of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has also urged to include minorities in the mainstream of Pakistan. If the government gives official status to these holidays minorities in Pakistan which very often keep raising the question of lack of rights for the right reasons would feel satisfied. When it comes to religion, minorities face discrimination in Pakistan. Discrimination on the basis of religious faith must be condemned. Though minorities are allowed to celebrate their religious occasion by availing holidays but these holidays are not officially declared as public holidays for them. We all should welcome a positive legislation with the pledge to promote peace and love for all and hate for none.
It is welcome news, considering the poor status of minorities in the country.