By Shaheen Hashim
KARACHI: Sindh chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah hosted a Christmas ceremony at the Chief Minister’s House on Thursday, marking the birth of Jesus Christ and underscoring a message of peace, harmony and interfaith unity.
The chief minister cut a Christmas cake alongside Christian religious leaders and extended warm greetings to the Christian community. He also posed for group photographs with guests, while special prayers were offered for peace, prosperity and progress in Pakistan.
Addressing the gathering, Shah said Christmas was one of the most important festivals for the Christian community and was celebrated across the world with great spirit. He said the teachings of Jesus Christ — centred on peace, love, tolerance and brotherhood — were deeply relevant in today’s troubled times.
He paid tribute to the role of Pakistan’s Christian community in the country’s development, particularly highlighting the contribution of missionary schools, which he said had played a significant role in promoting education over decades. Reaffirming his government’s position, Shah said minorities in Pakistan enjoyed all fundamental rights and stressed that the Pakistan Peoples Party had consistently raised its voice for the rights of all citizens without discrimination.
The chief minister said Sindh had a long tradition of respect and protection for followers of all faiths. “The world today needs peace,” he said. “Let us walk hand in hand to make this world a cradle of peace and commit ourselves to making this universe more beautiful.”
Former archbishop of Karachi, Cardinal Joseph Coutts, thanked the chief minister and the provincial government for hosting the Christmas event at the CM House and for expressing solidarity with the Christian community.
The ceremony was attended by provincial ministers Sharjeel Inam Memon, Syed Nasir Hussain Shah, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, Ali Hassan Zardari, Jam Khan Shoro, Qasim Naveed Qamar, Sham Sundar Advani, Rajveer Singh and Veerji Kohli, along with deputy speaker Naveed Anthony, members and former members of the Sindh assembly, and a large number of Christian religious leaders, bishops, priests, church representatives and other guests.
