The Sindh government has announced a holiday for all of its Hindu employees today on the occasion of the Holi festival. The chief secretary announced the holiday for the community in a notification issued on Thursday.
As per the notification, Hindu employees in all offices of the Sindh government as well as all autonomous, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, and local councils under the administrative control of the government would have the day off to celebrate the festival.
Meanwhile, a cake-cutting ceremony and traditional throwing of colours took place within the premises of the Sindh Assembly’s building after its session to mark Holi. Sindh Assembly Speaker Agha Siraj Khan Durrani attended the event along with several other lawmakers.
Parliamentarians with their minority colleagues celebrated Holi in a traditional fashion. “We are feeling great and this sends the message that there are no differences,” said MPA Mukesh Chawala.
His sentiments were echoed by other lawmakers who emphasised the importance of celebrating together. Leaders of various political parties also wised the Hindu community on their religious festival.
On Wednesday, Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had extended heartiest greetings to Hindu community on the eve of Holi festival. In his message, he had said that his party stood for equal rights and opportunities for the non-Muslim citizens of Pakistan.
He stated that the PPP was the true torch-bearer of the ideology of our founding father, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, for an egalitarian society. Bilawal pointed out that the PPP had provided constitutional guarantees to the rights for the non-Muslim Pakistanis and gave unprecedented representation in the parliament and party organisations. The PPP chairman said that every Pakistani was free to celebrate and perform his or her religious ceremonies and festivals in a secure environment.
