Festival of colours: PM Imran wishes Hindu community 'happy, peaceful' Holi in Pakistan
Health experts have cautioned people against large gathering for the festival because of the coronavirus
March 09, 2020
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday extended greetings to the Hindu community on the occasion of Holi, known as the festival of colours, and celebrated across Pakistan by members of the Hindu faith.
“Wishing all our Hindu community a very happy and peaceful Holi, the festival of colours,” the prime minister tweeted, extending warm wishes to the community in what is the first major festival of the Hindu year.
Holi is a popular ancient Hindu festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent. It is celebrated predominantly in India, but has also spread to other areas of Asia and parts of the Western world.
Festival of colours: Hindu community celebrates Holi
It is popularly known as the Indian "festival of spring", the "festival of colours", or the "festival of love". On Sunday, the Balochistan government announced a two-day holiday (March 9 and 10) for the Hindu community to celebrate Holi.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif also extended his greetings to the Hindu greetings on the occasion of Holi.
“The purpose of this day is to eradicate hatred and spread the colours of Holi,” Shehbaz said in his message.
“We will never forget the role of minorities in the formation of Pakistan,” Shehbaz said, adding that we should not forget the role played by non-Muslims in the defence of this country.
The ancient Hindu festival of Holi, which heralds the end of winter and the victory of good over evil, is marked with a national public holiday in India and sees revellers pour onto streets.
Health experts in India have cautioned people against gathering in large numbers for the festival because of the novel coronavirus outbreak that has claimed thousands of lives across the world, mostly in China.
Revellers in Nandgaon village in Uttar Pradesh state shook off their fears and kicked off the festival a bit early with celebrations on Thursday, telling AFP they didn't want the virus to curb their activities.
