LAHORE (Web Desk) – While media is abuzz with news that minorities in Pakistan have long been target of attacks, hate crimes, and blasphemy cases, Hindus across Pakistan celebrated the religious festival of colours on Thursday that is now officially marked in the Muslim-majority country as a public holiday.
Holi, which is celebrated with the onset of spring and is widely recognised for the throwing and applying of coloured powders on friends and family, is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and countries with large Hindu populations.
Hindus in Pakistan make up only about three percent of the 190 million population and mostly live in southern Sindh province. Christians represent about 1.6 percent of the population.
This month the government accepted a resolution for public holidays on the annual festivals of minority communitites, which was presented by a ruling party politician in the National Assembly – Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, who is also patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council.
