The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has installed 12 Christmas trees at different points of the city to express solidarity with the community on their "Great Day" to be observed on December 25 (Saturday). CDA would make all out efforts for welfare of its workers especially Christians associated with the civic body, said CDA Chairman Imtiaz Inayat Elahi on Wednesday.
He was addressing a ceremony arranged by CDA labour union here at its Sanitation Directorate in connection with Christmas and New Year. A large number of Christians and people belonging from different schools of thought participated in the function. The Christmas trees would remain illuminated till the New Year night.
The Christmas tree has a long association with Christianity, which began in Germany almost 1,000 years ago when St Boniface, who converted the German people to Christianity, was said to have come across a group of pagans worshipping an oak tree. In anger, St Boniface is said to have cut down the oak tree and to his amazement a young fir tree sprung up from the roots of the oak tree. St Boniface took this as a sign of the Christian faith.
Imtiaz Inayat Elahi stressed the need to promote interfaith harmony to ensure peaceful co-existence for all. He announced to give a bonus to Christians performing their duties in CDA on the occasion of Christmas. The Chairman highlighted the role of Christians in development of the city besides keeping the federal capital neat and clean at par with international standard. He also assured the CDA workers to resolve their housing related problems on priority basis. Earlier, a group of girls attired in traditional dresses sang Christmas songs and won applause from the audience.