President Zardari urges Pakistan’s Hindu community to celebrate Holi with restraint amid western border tensions
Islamabad — President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday extended warm greetings to Pakistan’s Hindu community on the occasion of Holi while appealing for simplicity and caution in celebrations this year given the country’s heightened security situation.In a statement, the President congratulated the Hindu community on the festival of colours, saying Pakistan takes great pride in…
Islamabad — President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday extended warm greetings to Pakistan’s Hindu community on the occasion of Holi while appealing for simplicity and caution in celebrations this year given the country’s heightened security situation.
In a statement, the President congratulated the Hindu community on the festival of colours, saying Pakistan takes great pride in its religious and cultural diversity and that the Hindu community is a cherished and integral part of the nation’s social fabric. He described Holi as a festival that carries a message of love, hope, and brotherhood — values he said were needed now more than ever.
However, President Zardari urged the community to avoid large public gatherings and grand celebrations this year, citing tensions on Pakistan’s western border and the overall national security environment. He requested that festivities be kept low-key, intimate, and modest in scale, stressing that the safety of all citizens and national harmony remain the government’s foremost priority.
The President emphasised that in the current climate, moderation and composure were the need of the hour, and expressed hope that the Hindu community would mark the occasion in a spirit of peace and solidarity. He expressed optimism that once the situation normalises, future celebrations can be observed with full enthusiasm and colour.
Pakistan is home to one of South Asia’s significant Hindu minority communities, concentrated largely in Sindh province, for whom Holi holds deep religious and cultural significance.
