Easter joy lights up twin cities
The Christian community will celebrate Easter today (Sunday) with religious zeal, devotion, and reverence. On Saturday night, Easter Eve was marked with enthusiastic preparations as Christian families flocked to shopping centres across the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Busy commercial areas such as Saddar, Gakkhar Plaza, Murree Road, Moti Bazaar, Raja Bazaar, Tench Bhatta Bazaar, Commercial Market, Aabpara, Super Market, Jinnah Super, and Karachi Company witnessed a shopping rush from morning till 1am. Families, especially children, shopped for garments, shoes, and artificial jewellery. Shopkeepers had decorated their stores with colourful lights to mark the occasion.
Recreational parks in both cities have been scheduled to remain open from 9am to 1am on both Easter Sunday and Easter Monday. Special arrangements have been made for activities like dodging cars, horse riding, boating in the lakes, and the chairlift at Patriata has also been opened for the public.
Vigil services were held in churches across the cities, with security beefed up to ensure safety. Over 5,000 security personnel have been deployed, and all church entrances are equipped with walk-through gates and CCTV cameras. Worship services will take place from 9am to 12pm today.
Christian leaders Rashid Chauhan and Pastor Asif expressed satisfaction with the security arrangements, stating that the community will fully cooperate with the administration and police.
In their Easter messages, former PPP Secretary General Syed Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, Punjab Assembly member Nargis Faiz Malik, and People's Secretariat In-charge Syed Sibtul Haider Bukhari extended heartfelt greetings to the Christian community. Nayyar Bukhari emphasised the community's continued role in national development, saying, "Their joy is our joy." MPA Nargis Faiz Malik urged the Christian community to pray for the nation's peace and prosperity during Easter. Syed Sibtul Haider Bukhari praised the Christian community in the twin cities for standing shoulder to shoulder with their Muslim brothers and said the celebrations of Good Friday and Easter are shared by all.
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