Pakistan parliament adopts resolution for Holi, Diwali, Easter holidays

Islamabad: For the first time, minority communities in Pakistan will have public holidays on Holi, Diwali and Easter festivals after the country's parliament on Tuesday adopted a resolution to this effect.

The National Assembly adopted the resolution that paves the way for the government to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as public holidays for the country's Hindu and Christian minorities.

Hindu lawmaker Ramesh Kumar Vankwani of PML-N moved the resolution that said the "government should take steps to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as closed holidays for minorities".

State Minister for Religious Affairs, Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah, speaking in the house, said that Interior Ministry has already given permission to heads of government institutions to grant leave to minorities on their religious festivals.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said that Pakistan has more public holidays than any country in the world, therefore there is need to revisit the number of holidays.

He said he had no objection over holidays being observed on the religious festivals of minorities adding that no discrimination was meted out to the followers of different faiths and that the people share their grief and happiness regardless of the religion they are practicing, Pakistan Today reported.