The Sindh government has announced special two-day holidays for its Hindu employees on March 3 and 4 on the occasion of Holi, in a gesture underscoring interfaith harmony and constitutional protections for minorities.
According to an official notification, the holidays would apply to all Hindu community employees serving in provincial government offices, subsidiary organisations, autonomous bodies and local government institutions across Sindh.
Sindh government spokesman Sukhdev Hemnani extended heartfelt greetings to the Hindu community on the auspicious occasion of Holi, describing the festival as a celebration of harmony and Sindh’s shared cultural heritage. He emphasised the provincial government’s firm commitment to safeguarding the religious freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution. On his recommendation in an earlier communique, the Sindh police chief issued directives to ensure foolproof security arrangements at all places of worship and communal spaces of the Hindu community. Preventive and special measures have been ordered to maintain peace and protect citizens during the festive period.
However, Hemnani revealed, following an appeal by President Asif Ali Zardari and in view of the prevailing circumstances, the Hindu community of Sindh has decided to cancel public Holi celebrations this year. The decision has been taken in solidarity with their Muslim brethren and in respect of the sanctity of Ramazan.
Hemnani noted that Sindh is home to the majority of Pakistan’s Hindu population, calling this diversity an integral part of the province’s collective identity. The Pakistan Peoples Party-led Sindh government, under the leadership of the party’s Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, remains committed to the principles of equal citizenship, dignity and inclusion, he said.
