Pak envoy in France hosts Christmas dinner

Paris: Pakistan’s Ambassador to France Asim Iftikhar Ahmad has hosted a dinner at the embassy to celebrate the occasion of Christmas and share the joy with the Christian community. The ambassador welcomed the guests and thanked them for being part of the celebrations.

In his remarks, he said that the coming together of people from different faiths, nationalities and backgrounds made the celebration of Christmas special. He said that Christmas was a time of happiness, celebration, sharing and remembrance.

“More importantly it reminded of the message of Jesus Christ – message of peace, tolerance and compassion for everyone around the world.” He added that “by celebrating diversity – we promote harmony and tolerance – as this is a mosaic of our modern states, our societies and the global community.” The ambassador further highlighted that it was the same message of peace common to all divine religions, including that of Islam as “our Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) universal teachings reflect the same”. It went without saying how important and relevant that universal message remained for the entire humanity today, he added.

“We are committed to promote harmony, ensure fundamental rights and equal opportunities for all Pakistanis as equal citizens as guided by the vision of our Founding Father Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.” The ambassador appreciated the contributions of the Pakistani Christian community, both in Pakistan and abroad, where they were the key pillars of Pakistani diaspora.

The Christian community remained proud contributors towards the establishment of Pakistan going back to 1947 – and decades of nation building ever since, he added. “They are and will always remain an essential and integral part of our multicultural society,” he asserted.

While outlining the active role of Pakistan at the international level, the ambassador duly recognized many friends who had over the years worked with the country in building bridges across nations and civilizations.

The ambassador also shared that the United Nations General Assembly had recently unanimously adopted the traditional resolution jointly presented by the Philippines and Pakistan on the “promotion of inter-religious and inter cultural dialogue, understanding and cooperation for peace”.

The Christmas dinner was attended by a large number of French friends and families, Pakistani Christian community, diplomats and people from all walks of life. Guests were treated with traditional Pakistani food while goody bags brought more smiles to the children. The officers and staff of the embassy also attended the event marking Christmas celebrations.