Lawmaker’s call for Holi celebration

MNA Dr Vankwani says this gesture is inevitable for the positive image of Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Prominent MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani has requested the Prime Minister of Pakistan and provincial chief ministers to timely announce advance salaries and public holidays for Hindu employees on the occasion of the Holi festival, which will fall on March 25, 2024.

Dr Vankwani, who is also Patron-in-chief of Pakistan Hindu Council, in his letter, a copy of which is sent to federal secretaries and provincial chief secretaries, wrote, “Being Patron-in-chief of Pakistan, Member of National Assembly and Member of Supreme Court Commission on Minorities, I would like to bring this into your kind notice that, the Holi festival, which is the most important festival for Hindu community, will occur on 25th March 2024.”

His letter continued, “My resolution, in this regard, has already passed in the National Assembly, that there should be a public holiday on religious festivals of the respective minority community.” He further stated “The government employees, belonging to Hindu dharma, working at federal and provincial levels, are in dire need of advance salary to celebrate the Holi festival with religious zeal and fervour.

Dr Vankwani first presented the resolution in March 2016 which said, “This house is of the opinion that the government should take steps to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as closed holidays for minorities.”

According to him, this good gesture was inevitable for the positive image of Pakistan as such holidays were also being observed in many other countries, including the United States on Eid, and India on Muharram.