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LAHORE, Dec 25 (APP): Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif attended Christmas celebrations at the Cathedral Church here on Wednesday, where she participated in a Christmas cake-cutting ceremony alongside Christian leaders and distributed cakes among Christian families.
The chief minister congratulated a student of Kinnaird College who presented the tune of the national anthem on the violin and appreciated her performance. She observed that the colourful Christmas ceremony was a shining example of interfaith harmony, as it was attended by leaders of all major religions as well as diplomats from the United States, Britain and other countries.
Little children dressed as Santa Claus remained the center of attention for the participants. The ceremony formally began with recitations from the Holy Quran and the Bible. Students of Kinnaird College presented a graceful traditional choir performance, while a special documentary highlighting Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s minority-friendly initiatives in Punjab was also screened.
Speaking on the occasion, Bishop Alexander John Malik appreciated the Chief Minister’s people-friendly policies and conferred upon her the title of “Daughter of Punjab.” Bishop of Lahore Nadeem Kamran also thanked the Chief Minister and other participants for their presence.
Provincial Minister for Minorities Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora welcomed the guests and addressed the gathering.
Later, the chief minister distributed Minority Cards to Farzana, Shamaila Naseer, Daniyal Masih and Tariq Masih, and handed over Christmas grant cheques to Younus, Sajawal Yousuf, Jamshed Gaye Anthony and Kanwal. In a touching gesture, she personally escorted an elderly woman, Shahnaz Bibi, to the stage by holding her hand.