Peshawar  -  The Diwali celebration in Peshawar served as a platform for promoting unity and harmony among people of diverse religions, allowing them to mingle and express joy and solidarity with the Hindu community during their biggest religious festival. The event was organized by Blue Veins, a non-governmental organization, with support from the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and the Directorate General of Law and Human Rights Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

People from various religions, including Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, and the Bahai community, attended the event, which featured the spreading of colors, candle lighting, lamp lighting, and the distribution of sweets. Subhash Chander, a Minority Rights Activist, emphasized that celebrating religious festivals together is a powerful way to promote interfaith harmony. He recalled how his father used to arrange new attire for him and his siblings during Eid-ul-Fitr, exemplifying the true spirit of unity and coexistence.

Subhash thanked Blue Veins and the event’s partners for their courageous initiative, which he believed would strengthen interfaith harmony and mutual cohesion. He also appreciated the Diwali celebration messages shared on social media, reflecting the growing respect for the religious festivals of minorities.

A representative from the Hindu community explained the background of Diwali, which honors the victorious return of Lord Rama from exile. The importance of fireworks was also highlighted, symbolizing the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil.

Sahibzada Haider from the Auqaf, Hajj, Religious, and Minority Affairs Department praised the efforts of the event organizers in uniting people of different faiths. Ghulam Ali, Director General of the Directorate of Law and Human Rights KP, said the government of Pakistan has issued directives to celebrate religious festivals of all communities to express solidarity. He encouraged minority community members to approach the Directorate for justice in cases of disparity or injustice.

Muhammad Rizwan, Provincial Coordinator for NCHR, highlighted the government’s efforts to foster unity and interfaith harmony. Qamar Naseem, Programme Manager of Blue Veins, observed that for the country to progress, respecting the religious festivals of other communities is essential. The event concluded with a Rang Holi ceremony, where attendees gathered around vibrant arrangements of colors, lit lamps, and distributed candies.