KARACHI: Mohajir Culture Day was observed across the city on Wednesday with rallies, cultural activities and messages from political parties emphasising unity, coexistence and respect for diversity.
Public leaders congratulated the Mohajir community on its historical contributions to Pakistan.
The main event of the day was a rally organised by Naujawanan-i-Muhajir, which started in Karimabad and concluded at Mazar-i-Quaid, symbolising the community’s link with the country’s founding ideals. The participants carrying banners and flags and riding cars, motorbikes and vans chanted slogans highlighting cultural identity, democratic rights and inter-ethnic harmony.
Separately, a special ceremony was held at Governor House to mark the day, where in a large number of poets, literary figures, politicians and members of civil society participated. The event featured a mushaira celebrating the Urdu language and Mohajir literary traditions.
Sindh governor hosts mushaira to mark the day; PTI’s Haleem Adil, PML-F’s Sardar Rahim and Mayor Wahab pay tribute to the sacrifices and struggle of the community
Fireworks illuminated Governor House in the evening, creating a festive atmosphere.
Speakers at the rally, the organisers stressed that Mohajir Culture Day was not about exclusion, but about recognising sacrifices made during the migration and reaffirming commitment to a peaceful, progressive Pakistan.
A large number of youngsters on motorbikes first paid homage to the Shuhada-i-Urdu, who were killed in police firing in 1972, and then headed towards Teen Hatti and Jehangir Road.
The rally reached the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam, where the participants paid tribute to the martyrs of the freedom movement for Pakistan.
The day was marked by calls for unity, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence among all ethnicities, with leaders emphasising that celebrating cultural identity strengthens national cohesion and promotes harmony in a diverse society.
Mayor Murtaza Wahab, while addressing a separate gathering in district West, congratulated the Mohajir community on the occasion and said that “in one way or another, we are all Mohajirs — some migrated from other countries, others from their cities”.
He said Karachi was home to people of all colours and ethnicities living together, and development of the city required collective effort.
Earlier, addressing a ceremony organised by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), the party’s Sindh secretary general Sardar Abdul Rahim congratulated the community and rejected what he termed “politics of hatred”.
He said the PML-F believed in representing all nationalities living in Pakistan and called for unity under the leadership of Pir Pagara to safeguard citizens’ rights.
He also raised concerns over Karachi’s law and order situation, public health issues and unemployment, urging authorities to address the city’s longstanding problems.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Sindh chapter president Haleem Adil Sheikh, in a statement, said Mohajir Culture Day represented the sacrifices, struggle and identity of the Mohajir community, which he described as a “proud chapter of Pakistan’s history”.
He said the PTI believed in respecting all cultures and promoting national unity, adding that the Mohajir culture, language and traditions were an integral part of Pakistan’s national identity.
Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2025
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