LAHORE - Christian community celebrated Easter with regions zeal and fervor and arranged special prayers in city’s cathedrals and churches.
Special prayers were held at Cathedral Church of the Resurrection (Lahore Cathedral), Sacred Heart Cathedral, St Andrew’s Church, St Anthony’s Church, St Joseph’s Church and St Henry’s Church.
Police ensured full proof security measures to foil any untoward incident on the occasion.
Christians started their day with special prayer called ‘Dawn Service of Sunrise Service’.
Families exchanged gifts and arranged family gatherings to celebrate the Easter eve and visited parks to enjoy the festivity of Easter.
It is pertinent to mention that, Easter is part of Holy Week according to Christian faith, which started from Palm Sunday followed by Good Friday celebrations and ended up with Easter which Christian considers most important religious event after Christmas.
Churches were decorated with lights. Number of bakeries made Easter eggs on Easter which are presented as gifts.
Dean of Lahore Cathedral Church of the Resurrection Rev Shahid Miraj conducted special prayers at Cathedral Church of Lahore on Mall Road. Shahid Miraj said that on Easter eve Christians pray for prosperity of Pakistan.
Provincial minister Human Rights and Minority Affairs Ijaz Alam Augustine visited different Churches of Lahore to review security arrangements.
“Christians living in Pakistan had decorated their homes and places of worship to celebrate Easter with religious fervor, while special prayers are being arranged in churches. They also congratulated their families and cut the cakes and distributed gifts among children. Police and law enforcement agencies provided fool-proof security,” he added.
The minister also condemned incidents of terrorism in Churches of Colombo and appealed to Christian community pray for victims of Colombo blasts.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar strongly condemned the incidents of bomb blasts at Sri Lanka. He expressed deep sense of sorrow and grief over the loss of precious human lives.
He also extended his sympathies to the bereaved families and prayed for the quick recovery of those who got injured. The chief minister said that blasts in hotels and Churches were very condemnable and that they are deeply saddened over it. All sympathies of people of Pakistan and Punjab are with the public of Sri Lanka. He said that they are standing in solidarity with the lamenting families. Innocent people were being targeted and victim of this terrorism. Pakistan itself is a prey of terrorism and they can feel the pain of those who have lost their loved ones. The chief minister said that terrorism is a menace and has become an international issue so we need to devise a comprehensive plan against it.
