LAHORE: Director General Punjab Emergency Services (Rescue 1122) Dr Rizwan Naseer hosted a cake cutting ceremony for the department’s Christian employees near Christmas time on Friday.
A lunch was also organised at the headquarters as well as the Emergency Services Academy and all district offices. Renowned Urdu poet Saadullah Shah, Punjab Human Resources Deputy Director Dr Foaad Shahzad Mirza, Punjab Planning and Development Deputy Director Faheem Ahmad Qureshi, Repair and Maintenance deputy Director Irfan Naseer, former Adjutant Emergency Services Academy Capt. (r) Lal, Pastor Saleem Khokhar, Head of Public Information Wing Rescue 1122 Deeba Shahnaz, senior officers and around 50 rescuers from the Christian community participated in the ceremony.
Rizwan Naseer wished a joyous Christmas to all the Christian members of Rescue 1122 as well as to the Christain community at large. He said that on the eve of this Christmas all sections of Pakistani society need to come together and pledge to defeat all menaces across the world.
He added that all divine religions preached the importance of being good humans and to work for the welfare and progress of humanity. He said the teachings of all religions aim to spread the message of love and peace and defeat hatred and strife. The DG also said that believing in the Quran meant all Muslims across the world also believed in the prophethood of Jesus and in the Bible being a divine book.
Saadullah Shah urged the Christian community to step forward and work shoulder-to-shoulder with their Muslim brothers to face the challenges of terrorism and extremism in a concerted manner. He said he felt proud that the DG had organised a harmonious gathering of two different communities to share values and strengthen cultural and religious bonds in order to build bridges and eliminate hatred and violence. At the end of the ceremony DG Naseer awarded cash prizes to the Christian employees present.
