Blast near Ashura procession in DI Khan kills five,injures at least 90

OCCASION OF CHRISTMAS ,2012

Speech of Raja Pervez Ashraf
Prime Minister of Pakistan
On the occasion of Christmas-2012
(December 22, 2012)


Excellencies,

Ladies and Gentlemen!

It gives me immense pleasure to attend this Christmas ceremony and share Christmas celebrations with our Christian brethren and members of diplomatic  community.
I would like to extend my heartiest felicitations to my fellow Christians both on behalf of the government as well as the people of Pakistan.
I also wish them a very happy New Year and a healthy and prosperous future.




Ladies & Gentlemen,
Some misguided elements have tried to sow seeds of suspicion and target religions and their teachings. Are our global institutions not capable of checkmating those who defame religions? We cannot sit back and allow a few extremists to attack our shared values or dictate their agenda?

This calls for serious introspection. The way the entire civilized world came together and denounced blasphemous caricatures of the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) indicates that the followers of all great religions would not allow misguided elements to dictate their narrative.

We need to close our ranks to promote shared values of compassion, moderation, tolerance and love. We need to foster a culture of interfaith dialogue in order to develop understanding.

Ladies and Gentlemen

All minorities are part of the Pakistani social fabric. We value the contributions and services of minority communities in general and Christian community in particular in the development of our country.      

The present democratic  Government is committed to the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for an enlightened, moderate, progressive, and tolerant Pakistan.

The Constitution of Pakistan gives every individual the right to freely practice their religion and fairly share economic opportunities for their empowerment.
In this connection, our Government has taken landmark decisions, which include:-

§    Federal Cabinet has approved the enhancement of minority seats in the National Assembly from 10 to 14, while seats of minorities are being increased by one each in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two seats for minorities will be increased in Pubjab and three in Sindh.
§    Reservation of 5% quota in federal government jobs/ services.
§    Reservation of 4 seats for Minorities in the Senate of Pakistan.

§    Declaration of 11th August, as National Minority Day including observances of optional holiday and celebration of other religious festivals of minorities at official level.


§    Establishment of National Commission for Minorities.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

Christmas reminds us of the true and universal message of love, tolerance, peace and brotherhood espoused by Jesus Christ. The best homage to Jesus Christ would be to follow his principles.


Ladies and Gentlemen

I call upon everyone to pledge that we will collectively struggle for the betterment of society and welfare of the people of this country.
We, the representatives of the people owe a lot to our people, as after a long intermission, the era of democracy has ushered in this country.

Establishment of an egalitarian society has always been the endeavour and policy of the Peoples Party. We have never compromised on this.

Ladies & Gentlemen,

The  government of  Pakistan  stands for equal rights for all citizens. We have always made efforts for socio-economic uplift of the masses. Special efforts are being made to bring the weaker sections of society into the mainstream. In this regard, Ministry of National Harmony has been mandated to actively engage in dialogue with scholars and leaders of all faiths to remove any misunderstandings.


Our government has proposed interfaith coordination as a practical and long term measure for achieving sustainable peace and harmony.

I am happy to note that the Christian community of  Pakistan  today stands more integrated and is taking active part in the socio economic development of  country.
Excellencies,
Ladies & Gentlemen,

I must appreciate the role of religious scholars of different faiths who have consistently professed and practiced the ideals of integrity and harmony within the Pakistani nationhood. All of you present here today deserve praise and appreciation for unwavering efforts towards a better and stable Pakistan.
I hope you will continue to contribute and promote national harmony to build a much greater and more tolerant Pakistan. Let us on this day dedicate ourselves to continue our journey along this road.