Like the rest of the world, the Hindu diaspora in Pakistan, especially those in the north-western city of Peshawar and the southern city of Karachi celebrated the festival of Rakshabandhan (“Rakhi”) with enthusiasm and gusto. Krishna Kumari, a Hindu senator for the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), tied a rakhi to her party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
Sharing a video of herself tying the rakhi to the PPP leader, Krishna Kumari wrote in a post on X: “Happy Raksha Bandhan. Thank you respected Chairman @BBhuttoZardari” and tagged his sisters Aseefa Zardari and Bakhtawar B Zardari.
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Ahead of the festival on Monday, makeshift stalls selling Rakhis in different colours and designs were set up inside several temples in the city. In Peshawar, the festival was celebrated amid tight security as heavy contingents of police were deputed around temples in city and cantonment areas to ensure peaceful observance of the occasion.
A large number of Hindu women and young girls from all across the metropolis thronged a temple in Jhanda Bazar in the city area for early pooja and then prepared for ‘aarti’, a Hindu religious ritual. They tied Rakhi to their brothers after attending the rituals.
Heavy police presences seen around areas where the festival was celebrated on Monday. Also seen were tight security and heavy contingents of police deputed around temples in cities and cantonment areas in Pakistan to ensure peaceful observance of the festivity.