LAHORE: In his message on the occasion of Christmas, Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday said that the festival of Christmas is an occasion to promote friendship, love and mutual associations.
Congratulating the Christian community, Shehbaz said that the birthday of Jesus Christ (Hazrat Isa) is sacred and holy for Muslims, adding faith in all prophets, including Jesus, is the essential component of Islam.
Lauding the services of the community in the province, the chief minister said the Christian community has been playing an active role for stability and growth of Pakistan, besides promotion of education.
He said the need for inter-religion harmony has increased nowadays due to the problems Pakistan is confronting and remaining indifferent in the contentions of minority or majority we have to work together for the development, stability, and survival of the country.
On the elimination of divide between the minorities and the majority Muslims, he said that the Punjab government has taken concrete measures for the welfare of all the minorities.
The Punjab government has ensured the protection of minority rights as the founder of Pakistan Mohammad Ali Jinnah has also stressed upon giving equal rights to all the minorities, adding all the minorities in Pakistan have the freedom to live according to their beliefs.