rki.news

Altaf Hamid Rao.

MIRPUR (AJK), April 7 – The Christian community across Azad Jammu & Kashmir, particularly in Mirpur district, celebrated Easter with full religious zeal and traditional fervor, marking one of the most significant days in the Christian calendar.
Special prayer services were organized in residential areas, including Mangla town, where a large segment of the Christian population resides. Participants offered prayers for the salvation of humanity, the progress and prosperity of Pakistan and AJK, and for the early success of the Kashmir freedom movement. Families and community members gathered together, sharing meals and messages of peace, harmony, and brotherhood, reflecting the spiritual and social importance of the festival.
During the Easter Day services held at the Mirpur District Council Hall, Mangla Chitterpari, religious leaders including Reverend Haroon Ajmal, Javeid Gill, Younis Bhatti, Father Loyaish Rakaash, Baboo Arshad Nazim, and Patris Maseeh, Supreme Head of the Mirpur Christian Foundation, addressed the congregation. They emphasized the historical and spiritual significance of Easter for Christians worldwide, including in Pakistan and AJK, and lauded the arrangements made to celebrate the day with utmost solemnity.
The services included prayers for the unity, integrity, and welfare of Pakistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and Gilgit Baltistan, along with calls for the liberation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir. Leaders highlighted the full religious freedoms enjoyed by minority communities in AJK, affirming that Christians live and practice their faith on par with the majority Muslim population.
Speakers underlined the role of minority communities in contributing to Pakistan and AJK’s progress, prosperity, and social development, while reaffirming their commitment to uphold religious obligations and community welfare. The celebrations reflected both spiritual devotion and a collective pledge to serve the nation alongside fellow citizens.
The day concluded with community members reaffirming solidarity, national unity, and mutual respect, highlighting the harmonious coexistence of different faiths in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and underscoring the shared responsibility of all citizens in promoting peace and social cohesion.