Pakistan Hindu Council backs appeal as authorities cite Iran crisis and western border escalation
President Asif Ali Zardari has urged the Hindu community to celebrate Holi in a simple and restrained manner this year, citing the prevailing security situation on Pakistan’s western border and heightened regional tensions, and called for unity and shared responsibility.
President Asif Ali Zardari has urged the Hindu community to celebrate Holi in a simple and restrained manner this year, keeping in view the situation on Pakistan’s western border and the tensions in the region, and has called for unity and shared responsibility at this time.
— The President of Pakistan (@PresOfPakistan) March 1, 2026
The Pakistan Hindu Council (PHC) fully endorsed the president’s appeal. In a statement issued on Monday, PHC Patron-in-Chief Ramesh Kumar Vankwani directed the council to review preparations for annual Holi celebrations across the country.
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He urged community representatives to exercise caution, avoid large-scale public events, and extend full cooperation to local authorities.
Vankwani said the patriotic Hindu community of Pakistan has consistently played a positive role in promoting national unity, harmony, and interfaith cohesion.
Similarly, Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori extended Holi greetings to the Hindu community, describing the festival as “a beautiful celebration of colours, love, and brotherhood.”
He said Sindh, known as the land of Sufis, is defined by tolerance and harmony, adding that minorities in Pakistan enjoy constitutional and religious freedom. The governor acknowledged the Hindu community’s role in the country’s development and prosperity, noting that Holi carries the message of erasing hatred and spreading the colours of love and peace.
The advisory comes amid heightened regional uncertainty over the weekend after the United States and Israel launched what they described as a “pre-emptive” joint strike against targets in Iran, with US President Donald Trump announcing the start of “major combat operations”.
Compounding concerns, Pakistan has also launched Operation Ghazab lil-Haq against the Afghan Taliban following what officials described as “unprovoked firing” from across the border. Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said Pakistan’s armed forces had destroyed 182 Taliban posts and captured 31, signalling a sharp escalation along the western frontier.
Holi, often called the festival of colours, is a major Hindu spring festival that symbolises the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring. Celebrated with coloured powders, festive gatherings and traditional sweets, it is observed by Hindu communities across Pakistan and the wider region.
