The Government of Punjab in Pakistan organized its first-ever “Christmas Interfaith Harmony Rally” in Lahore on December 14, 2025. Thousands of people, including Christians, Muslims, Hindus, and Sikhs, participated in the rally, demonstrating strong support for the provincial government’s initiative to promote interreligious harmony.
“It is a special initiative of the Government of Punjab to celebrate the joy of Christmas in its true spirit. The Christmas season has already begun around the world, and in Punjab we are inaugurating it with a Christmas Peace Rally from the Catholic Cathedral in Lahore. We have extended these celebrations for two weeks,” said Ramesh Singh Arora, Minister for Human Rights and Minority Affairs in the Government of Punjab.
“Our mission is to promote interfaith harmony in Pakistan, and we want to spread the message of peace by marking the birthday of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace,” he added.
The minister also emphasized the provincial government’s commitment to inclusivity. “The Chief Minister of Punjab calls religious minorities the crown of her head, and the vision of our government is to build a diverse and inclusive Punjab,” he said. “We want to spread the message of love, peace, brotherhood, and tolerance to strengthen harmony among people of all faiths in Pakistan.”
The Christmas Interfaith Harmony Rally commenced in the afternoon from the Sacred Heart Cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore. Thousands of Christians, including Catholic priests and nuns, joined the rally using trucks, vans, cars, and motorbikes. As participants covered the seven-kilometre route, they played Christmas carols and chanted slogans such as Alleluia, Praise the Lord, Glory to God, and hymns proclaiming Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace and King of Kings.
Bishop Alexander John Malik of the Anglican Church praised the Punjab government’s initiative, saying it would help spread the message of peace and harmony in the country.
Muhammad Asim Makhdoom, an Islamic cleric who participated in the rally, said: “I am joyful that through this Christmas rally the world will see the positive image of Pakistan. Through the media, we are sharing a message of peace and equal rights for religious minorities in Pakistan. I encourage the government to continue such initiatives to strengthen harmony and bring joy to minority communities.”
Fr. Qaisar Feroz, OFM Cap, Executive Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Catholic Communications and Director of Radio Veritas Asia Urdu Service, told Radio Veritas Asia: “The Christmas rally is a profound expression of peace and social harmony. Thousands of participants, Christians, Muslims, and people of other faiths, marched side by side as brothers and sisters, proclaiming that Jesus is the Prince of Peace.”
Khalid Shahzad, a renowned Christian social worker and minority rights activist, also welcomed the initiative. Speaking to Radio Veritas Asia, he said: “I appreciate the initiative of the Government of Punjab. This Christmas rally sends a message of love to religious minorities in Pakistan, especially Christians, after nearly 20 years.”
Recalling earlier celebrations, he added: “In the early 2000s, under the leadership of the late Bishop Andrew Francis of Multan, then a priest in Lahore, the Christian community used to organize Christmas rallies from St. Anthony’s Church to the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Large numbers of people wearing colourful clothes, singing Christmas hymns, playing musical instruments, and traveling in vehicles and camel carts participated in those rallies.”
“These rallies were later discontinued due to waves of terrorism in Pakistan, in order to protect lives,” Shahzad said. “This initiative by the Punjab government is a sign of hope for religious minorities to openly celebrate their religious festivals once again.”
Earlier this month, the Gawahi Mission Trust, led by Pastor Sarfaraz William, in collaboration with several Protestant and Pentecostal churches, also organized Christmas rallies in Karachi and Islamabad to spread the message of love and peace and to share the joy of Christmas with people of all faiths.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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