Santa’s gift: First time in five decades, CDA workers get treated to a Christmas festival

Dozens of families attended the event.

ISLAMABAD:

Dozens of families celebrated the birth of Jesus Christ in Islamabad by attending a colourful festival on Christmas Day.

The festival — the first of its kind to be organised by the Capital Development Authority (CDA) — was held at the open air theatre at Shakarparian.

Daniel Masih was one of the many CDA staff members who visited the festival with their families and children. Masih said the CDA usually holds a Christmas cake cutting ceremony every year for its Christian staff. But this new festival is a “good precedent”.

“It is just a nice opportunity for me to bring my children for an outing on Christmas Day,” Masih said.

The audience was treated to songs, dance performances and Christmas carols. Towards the end of the day, a play, which reflected upon Christ’s teachings for humanity, was also staged.



Veteran Rawalpindi television actor Masood Khawaja hosted the festival’s proceedings and had the audience in stitches with his jokes, especially his digs at the CDA administration. Outside the open air auditorium, children enjoyed the bouncy castles and merry-go-round rides.



Organisations such as the Christian Unity Front and the Pakistan Christian Welfare Society helped manage the festival.

Sarfaraz Masih, chief organizer of the festival, thanked CDA chairman Syed Tahir Shahbaz and said the event could not have been possible without his support. The chairman allocated Rs0.3 million for the arrangement of the festival, Sarfaraz said. He was said it was encouraging to see the civic agency respect and recognise the religious event of its Christian employees.

Chairman Shahbaz felicitated the Christian community on the occasion. “The Christian community is playing a pivotal role in the development of Islamabad and it deserves appreciation for its services,” Shahbaz said.

He added the building plan of the Full Gospel Assembly Church in Islamabad has been approved.

Reverend Father Rahmat Michael, a Parish priest from Islamabad, said a prayer for the happiness and safety of all those present at the festival.

Chairman Shahbaz, CDA’s board member for planning and development Mustafain Kazmi and other officials of the civic agency also attended the event.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2012.