A merry Christmas: Hymns for peace fill city’s churches

A large contingent of police was deployed for security.

LAHORE:

Hundreds of people attended the Christmas service at the 160-year-old Naulakha Presbyterian Church on Wednesday. The church hosts one of the largest Christmas congregations in the city.

Special prayers were made at the service for the peace in the country.

“Many Muslims attended the service. Christmas greetings were exchanged and they gave us presents,” said Imran Samuel one of the participants at the service.

“The warmth we were shown today was amazing. This is how we should promote interfaith harmony,” he added.

Pastor Shahid Mirjaz of Cathedral Church said a special prayer service was held for peace and prosperity of Pakistan.

“Jesus brought a message of peace and love. Christmas is the day to celebrate happiness and peace,” he said.

Special stalls for children were set up at Saint Anthony’s Church on The Mall. Families were seen flocking to them in large numbers.



Visitors throng parks

The city parks were packed with Christmas visitors.

“Dozens of families visited. Bright, sunny weather this Christmas this winter attracted a lot of people to the parks,” said a spokesman of the Parks and Horticulture Authority.

He said Race Course Park saw the largest number of visitors.

The city zoo too was packed with visitors.

“We received thousands of visitors at the zoo on Wednesday,” an official at the zoo said. “The counting is still being done. We believe some 15,000 people visited the zoo on Christmas,” he said.

Security

“The 429 churches in the city were divided into three categories; A, B and C,” Operations DIG Rana Abdul Jabbar said.

He said a DSP, an SHO and eight constables were deployed at each of the churches in category A.

He said an SHO and six constables were assigned security duties at churches in category B.

He said four constables under a deputy superintendent were deployed at category C churches in the city.

The DIG said 79 churches assigned the category A were the most “sensitive.”

The DIG said visitors at category A churches were checked by police and had to pass through metal detector. He said they were also frisked by volunteers at these churches.

He said divisional SPs were ordered to visit churches in their respective areas and keep track of the force deployed at churches.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 26^th, 2013.