- Pakistan Hindus to celebrate Holi simply on March 4.
- President Zardari urged restraint due to regional tensions.
- Decision follows escalating Israel-Iran conflict, security concerns.
Pakistan Hindus on Sunday announced to celebrate the Holi festival with simplicity due to the regional situation after attacks on Iran as per President Asif Ali Zardari's appeal. Holi, the festival of colours, will be celebrated on March 4.
Patron-in-Chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, said that President Asif Ali Zardari has urged the Hindu community to celebrate Holi with simplicity this year. Dr Vankwani, who is also a prominent Member of the National Assembly representing minorities, in a statement termed the President's message timely and responsible.
"The appeal calls for limiting large public gatherings in view of the prevailing regional tensions and security concerns," he said.
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
Why does Pakistan urge Hindus to celebrate Holi calmly?
He emphasised that under the current critical circumstances, prioritising national security and the safety of citizens is a shared responsibility of everyone.
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Following the president's appeal, Vankwani has issued directives to the Pakistan Hindu Council to review preparations for annual Holi celebrations across the country. He also urged community representatives to exercise caution, avoid large-scale public events, and extend full cooperation to local authorities.
Israel-Iran conflict escalates
After Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an airstrike in Tehran on Saturday during a joint Israel-US attack, the Islamic nation vowed revenge on Sunday and hit back at Israel and the US bases in neighbouring countries.
What is Holi?
Holi, widely known as the Hindu festival of colors, is a joyful annual celebration at the advent of spring with cultural and religious significance.
Typically observed in March in India, Nepal, other South Asian countries and across the diaspora, the festival celebrates love and signifies a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, a time to embrace the positive and let go of negative energy.
For one of Holi’s most well-known traditions, celebrants clad in all white, come out to the street and throw colored powders at each other, leaving behind a kaleidoscope of pigments and joy. Festivities with music, dancing and food ensue.
Holi is celebrated at the end of winter and the beginning of spring, on the last full moon day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month of Falgun. The date of the festival varies depending on the lunar cycle. Typically, it falls in March, and will be celebrated this year on March 4 in India.
(With inputs from agencies)