Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari on Thursday greeted Christian community on the eve of Christmas falling on Friday (today).

“I wish to felicitate Christians all over the world particularly our Christian brothers and sisters in Pakistan on the auspicious occasion of Christmas,” he said, adding Jesus Christ is the fountainhead of the message of love, forgiveness and brotherhood. “We need to imbibe his teachings to make our tomorrow better than our today,” he said in a message on the occasion.

The need for inculcating the values of love, forgiveness and reconciliation has never been as great as it is today, the former president added. “On this occasion, I also condemn the growing incidents of misuse of some religion-based laws against members of the Christian community, indeed against all non-Muslim citizens of the country,” he observed.

He said, the PPP reiterates its pledge that it will protect the non-Muslims from the misuse of religion-based laws against them. “We welcome the decision by the Senate of Pakistan to taken note of this, and to engage all stakeholders in a broad-based conversation to prevent the misuse of these laws,” he maintained.

“I also wish to acknowledge with deep appreciation the great contributions of the Christian community towards the development and well-being of Pakistan. As a deeply law-abiding and loyal community, they have earned the admiration of the nation. I am confident they will continue to play their positive and constructive role in the society,” he added.

“Let me also reiterate our pledge that the PPP will continue to uphold the right of the Christians, indeed of all non-Muslims, to be treated as equal citizens of the state and allowed to partake in its development on an equal footing and irrespective of the consideration of cast, creed and colour,” he concluded.