Islamic Pakistan goes for Image makeover, its Parliament wish to declare Holi, Diwali & Easter holidays

March,17,2016:

If the Government adheres to the Parliament resolution - which it is expected to - the interior ministry will issue a notification declaring the holidays

The Pakistan National Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution to take steps to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as holidays for minorities in the country.

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".

The interior ministry has already given permission to heads of federal organisations, departments, and institutions to grant leave to minorities on their religious festivals, State Minister for Religious Affairs Pir Aminul Hasnat Shah told the house.

If the Government adheres to the resolution – which it is expected to – the interior ministry will issue a notification declaring the holidays.

Vankwani said the declaration of such holidays was essential for Pakistan’s “good image” abroad, since Muslim holidays, such as Eid and Muharram, are already observed in countries like the United States and South Asian neighbor India.

Pakistan’s treatment of its minorities often makes headlines for the wrong reasons, with the country’s contentious blasphemy law frequently used to disproportionately target them.

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Laws and Justice Pervaiz Rashid said that although he was not opposing the resolution, the number of holidays in Pakistan are more than any other country and the resolution should be reconsidered.

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