Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK): Dec. 24: All dueprograms have been given final touches by the AJK-based Christian community to celebrate Christmas tomorrow – (Wednesday- 25th of December) with traditional religious zeal and fervor, Christian Pastor of Azad Jammu Kashmir and Chairman Azad Jammu Kashmir Christian Welfare Society said.

Addressing a gathering of local Christian community held at Mangla near here Tuesday to give final touches to the preparations to on Sunday to unveil scheduled special programmes to celebrate the Christmas, Christian Pastor of Azad Jammu & Kashmir and Chairman Azad Kashmir Christian Welfare Society Younis Bhatti, a spokesperson of the organisation said that the religious festival will be celebrated by the Christian community with full traditional religious enthusiasm in AJK including Mirpur district.

The Christian community elder said that there was complete freedom to the minorities including the Christian community following traditional communal harmony between minorities and majority community in Azad Jammu & Kashmir to perform their religious rights and other traditional and cultural obligations like other parts of the country.

He underlined “because of the liberal approach of the governments and the people of Pakistan and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, the soil of motherland – Pakistan and AJK are enriched with conducive environment for the minority communities where there was complete sovereignty and freedom to perform their religious rites and other due obligations absolutely at par with the majority Muslim community in the country.

The spokesperson said that the minorities will bring about all of their potentials for the speedy progress, prosperity and uplift of the country and will leave no stone un-turned to make the defense of the country more stronger up to the required extent.

Bhatti said that the minority Christian community will not ever lag behind in giving any sacrifice to make the Kashmir freedom movement complete success. Since the minorities are determined to pay their due share for the achievement of Kashmiris legitimate right to self determination, he added.