ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday extended Easter greetings to the Christian community and urged people to celebrate and pray at home due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“Wishing all our Christian citizens a happy Easter,” Khan tweeted in both Urdu and English languages.
He urged them to keep themselves and their families safe by celebrating and praying at home during the coronavirus pandemic.
“Please stay safe and keep your families safe during the COVID19 pandemic by praying and celebrating at home; and by observing the national safety protocols, Khan said in his witter message.
President Arif Alvi also extended greetings to the Christian community, saying Easter also reminds us of the teachings of Jesus Christ and his universal message of love, forgiveness, and brotherhood, which can bring harmony and peace to the world.
He appreciated the contribution made by the Christian community in the social and economic development of Pakistan and said they are equal citizens of the state and their rights had fully been safeguarded by the Constitution.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also greeted the Christian community on the occasion.
“A happy and safe Easter to all celebrating today. Let us embrace the spirit of this auspicious day and renew our pact to rise together in our fight against #Covid-19, for a healthy, strong, and progressive Pakistan,” he tweeted.
Christians, who comprise 1.59 per cent of the population of Muslim-majority Pakistan, are celebrating Easter without the usual services in the churches or the traditional congregations in the wake of the virus outbreak that has infected over 5,000 people and killed 88 others in the country.
Several churches, like other places of worship across Pakistan, have been closed for the public due to the spread of the coronavirus.
All special services, prayers and rituals are being held by the devotees from their homes electronically, through video link and national broadcast.
The government has enforced a lockdown until April 14 to curb the spread of the virus.