President and PM urge peace, tolerance, unity

In messages to the Christian community in Pakistan and across the worldon Christmas, President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Shahid KhaqanAbbasi have said that it is the day to reiterate the universalteachings of patience, tolerance, kindness and goodwill, not only forthe Christians but for all of mankind.In his message on Christmas celebrations yesterday, the president saidthat peace and happiness can be brought back to the world, which isengaged in conflict of interests and wars, by adopting these virtues.“The lesson that we learn from the teachings of Jesus Christ is thatlife and property of all people living on this planet should be givenequal respect and protection without discriminating on the basis ofcolour, caste, region and belief,” he said.Hussain said that human beings should not be made into fuel for fighting wars for materialistic interests.Instead, the president said, valuable resources should be spent on the welfare and development of humanity.This is the best way to commemorate Jesus Christ, Hussain added.He said that the services rendered by the Christian community forprogress and stability of the country, particularly in the fields ofmedicine and education, are greatly valued by the people and thegovernment.Hussain said that the Constitution of Pakistan guarantees equal rightsto all minority communities, including Christians, and the government isfulfilling its constitutional and moral responsibilities in thisregard.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Abbasi praised the Christian community fromacross the globe on Christmas, appreciating the efforts of Pakistan’sChristian community for socio-economic development of their homeland.“We are proud of our Christian brethren. They are an integral part ofour multicultural polity, and I am confident that their patrioticcontributions will continue to accelerate the pace of Pakistan’sprogress,” he said in his message on the occasion of Christmas.He said that much more than festivity and celebration, the spirit ofChristmas is to share, to reach out, and to love all of humanity.Abbasi said that Jesus Christ brought and preached the message of peace,brotherhood and love for humanity, guiding people towards virtuousliving and urging them to seek divine mercy.He also paid the highest tribute to the sacrifices made by the Christian brethren in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism.“Our commitment to this fundamental principle is firmly grounded in theteachings of Islam, the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, andthe inviolable guarantees of our Constitution,” Abbasi remarked.