News Desk
Islamabad: October 20, 2025
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Monday extended warm Diwali greetings to the Hindu community and other religious minorities, calling the festival a “beautiful message of joy, peace and tolerance.” He reaffirmed his government’s commitment to protecting the rights of minorities and promoting interfaith harmony across Pakistan.
Addressing a special ceremony at the Prime Minister’s House, the prime minister said the presence of Hindu, Christian, and other minority leaders at the event reflected “the living reality of Pakistan’s pluralism.” The gathering was attended by the Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kheal Das Kohistani, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf Khan, Bishop Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters, Prof. Chanchal Nawab, parliamentarians, members of minority communities, and diplomatic representatives.
Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that “every citizen regardless of faith has the constitutional right to practise religious rituals without fear or intimidation.” Referring to recent initiatives, he said, “Parliamentary approval and ongoing work are underway to give the proposed National Commission for Minorities a firmer legal foundation,” adding that “the government has rolled out targeted support programmes — from scholarships for minority students at primary through tertiary levels to representation of minorities in federal and provincial assemblies.”
The Prime Minister praised minority communities for their service to the nation, saying, “Their patriotism and public-spirited work are a source of national pride.” He urged all citizens to “work shoulder to shoulder to resist hatred, intolerance and extremism and to preserve Pakistan as a land of tolerance and peaceful coexistence.”
Shehbaz also highlighted the government’s inclusion efforts, saying, “The state will continue to ensure equal opportunities for minorities in education, health and public employment.” He added, “Religious festivals enjoy official recognition and holidays and workplace accommodations are provided to enable citizens to observe their faiths.”
Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kheal Das Kohistani, in his remarks, paid tribute to the Prime Minister for organizing Diwali celebrations officially at the Prime Minister’s House, calling it “a unique historic moment.”
He also paid homage to Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the DG ISPR, and the Minister for Information and Broadcasting, saying they “not only strongly advocated for peace and restraint during Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos but rather physically demonstrated it by not targeting any temple or civilian as Indian forces had targeted religious seminaries, women and children.”
Kohistani further added, “Post-May 10 Pakistan is the true Pakistan that has no room for terrorism, extremism and hatred rather is the land of peace, tolerance, interfaith harmony and unity.”
Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf Khan said, “The Diwali celebrations participated by members of different faiths of the minorities have demonstrated Pakistan’s message of peace, unity, tolerance and interfaith harmony.”
Earlier, Prof. Chanchal Nawab of Physics delivered an enlightening lecture on the significance of Diwali as “a festival of celebrating victory of good over evil, light over darkness and gives the message of humanity, peace and tolerance.” She said, “Diwali is not an event of the past. It is the philosophy of life that gives the message to mankind to strive in times of darkness, injustice and challenges. By embracing the strength of light, the light of peace, harmony, brotherhood and tolerance — we can establish the true society envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.”
Prof. Chanchal welcomed the official celebration of Diwali as “the symbol of interfaith harmony and true depiction of the fact that Pakistan gives equal rights to all the minorities of the country.”
Bishop Humphrey Sarfaraz Peters also commended the government’s commitment to interfaith harmony, saying the official recognition of Diwali “reflects Pakistan’s progress toward inclusivity, respect and peaceful coexistence among all its citizens.”