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SARGODHGA, Dec 18 (APP):On the directions of Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif, 12-day Christmas celebrations organized by the Minority Affairs Department are continuing with enthusiasm across the province to promote interfaith harmony and social inclusion.
As part of these festivities, Provincial Minister for Minority Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora attended a special Christmas ceremony at the Arts Council Complex, Sargodha. The event was attended by Commissioner Sargodha Division Jahanzeb Awan, Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Muhammad Waseem, senior district administration officers, dignitaries of the minority community, political and social representatives, and a large number of children.
A special segment of the ceremony was dedicated to children with special needs, where Ramesh Singh Arora distributed gifts among 80 children and spent time interacting with them.
Addressing the gathering, the provincial minister said that Christmas was not merely a religious festival but a universal message of love, tolerance and humanity. He said Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had issued special instructions to ensure that the joy of Christmas reached special children and deserving families so that they felt themselves an equal and respected part of society.
He highlighted the role of minority communities in the development of Punjab and said the present government was giving top priority to the protection of minority rights and their welfare. He added that the expansion of the Minority Card scheme was providing tangible relief to minority communities, including Christians, while further welfare initiatives were being implemented in collaboration with educational institutions, churches and community organizations.
Ramesh Singh Arora said that, for the first time in Punjab’s history, religious festivals of minority communities were being celebrated at the official level. He added that the 12-day Christmas celebrations being held across the province would continue successfully, with the objective of promoting harmony, brotherhood and solidarity.