In his message on the occasion of Christmas, the Prime Minister said Jesus Christ was the Messenger of God and a Messiah for the entire humanity. His message of love, brotherhood and peace is universally acknowledged, the Prime Minister said.

He said that Islam preaches equality of mankind, irrespective of cast or creed and the universal message of Islam and its principles are applicable to the entire humanity.

The Prime Minister said the Christian community living in Pakistan was an integral part of the society.

He appreciated their role in the socio-economic development of the country.

He said that the present government in line with the vision of the Father of Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, its leaders Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto and Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed, had taken several steps to ensure religious freedom and equal opportunities to the minorities including the Christian Community.

"Our religious celebrations should not be restricted to merely rituals.We should practice the teachings of our religions and mould our lives with the objective to serve humanity” the Prime Minister said and added that “let us pledge on this occasion that we will devote all our energies to the welfare of our countrymen,"

"Let us also resolve that we will defeat the forces of extremism, militancy, sectarianism and make Pakistan a bastion of peace and prosperity," he added.

"Merry Christmas and a happy new year," the Prime Minister said.