For the first time in its 68 year history minority communities in Pakistan including Hindus and Christians will have a national holiday observed on their important festivals.

Pakistan Today/ Representational Image

This, after the Pakistan Parliament on Tuesday adopted a resolution to take steps to declare Holi, Diwali and Easter as holidays for minorities.

The resolution was moved by Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, an elected Hindu lawmaker of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League from Sindh.

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Vankwani, who is also patron-in-chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, was of the view that the announcement was inevitable for the good image of Pakistan as such holidays were also being observed in the United States on Eid, and in India on Muharram.

There are about 3 million Hindus in Pakistan and makes up around 2 per cent of the country's population.

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The total number of Christians in Pakistan were estimated at 2.5 million in 2005, which is around 1.6 per cent of the population.