Pakistani Hindus covered with colored powder greet each other as they take part in celebrations for the Holi festival in Karachi on March 5, 2015. The Holi festival which falls on March 24 this year, will be a public holiday for the first time in Sindh province. (Photo by AFP)
Minority religious leaders in Pakistan have hailed the country's Sindh province for declaring a public holiday for the annual Hindu festival of Holi but Christian leaders said they are still waiting a holiday for Easter Monday.
The Sindh government March 19 announced that there would be a public holiday for Holi in the province. Hindus as well as Christians are a small minority in Pakistan, where more than 95 percent of its 180 million people are Muslims. The majority of Hindus are in Sindh province, while the majority of Christians reside in Punjab province.
"It is a historic decision for the country's minorities particularly Hindus that Sindh has declared (Holi) a public holiday," Ramesh Vankwani, chairman of the Pakistan Hindu Council told ucannews.com.
However, Michael Javed, a Christian leader and former lawmaker, while welcoming the Sindh government's decision to make Holi a holiday pointed out that it has been a "longstanding demand" by Christians for a holiday on Easter Monday as Easter is always a holiday in Pakistan because Sunday is the weekly day off.
To avoid a sense of alienation of the Christian community, the Punjab province, where majority of the Christians live, as well as the federal government should make Easter Monday a public holiday, he said.
"Around 7 to 8 million Christians live in Punjab province. Declaring Easter Monday a holiday will be joyful and promote interfaith harmony," he added.
Javed pointed out that former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had pledged to declare Easter Monday a national holiday that promise was never fulfilled.
The Sindh government's decision comes three days after lawmakers in the National Assembly petitioned the federal government to declare Easter and the two major Hindu festivals of Holi, Diwali and as holidays.
Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, marks the end of winter. This year Holi falls on March 24 which also coincides with Maundy Thursday, when Christians commemorate the Last Supper of Jesus Christ with his Apostles.
Christmas is already a national holiday in Pakistan as Dec. 25 coincides with the birthday of Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan.
