Beyond Religion and Borders: A Muslim Journalist's Friendship with a Hindu Priest in Lahore
Diwali in Pakistan: Sajjad Azhar Pirzada's Visit to Lahore's Krishna Temple Offers Hope for Communal HarmonyJustice Markandey Katju highlights a message of Hindu-Muslim harmony from Lahore, where Pakistani journalist Sajjad Azhar Pirzada celebrated Diwali at Krishna Mandir with Hindu priest Pandit Kashi Ram and Muslim friends, demonstrating that humanity, friendship and mutual respect transcend religious and national boundaries….
A ray of hope from Lahore
By Justice Markandey KatjuBefore the Partition of India in 1947, a third of the people living in Lahore were Hindus and Sikhs. Today, only 0.2% of Lahore's population are of these 2 religions
This means that some of them were killed, and the rest fled to India in or about 1947.
And yet Lahore gives me hope because of my journalist friend Sajjad Azhar Pirzada and other secular-minded people like him who live there.
Sajjad regularly visits the Krishna Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna located in Ravi Road, opposite of Timber Market in Lahore, Pakistan on Holi, Diwali and other Hindu religious occasions. In the contemporary era, it is one of two functional Hindu temples in Lahore, the other being Valmiki mandir.
His friend, Pandit Kashi Nath, is the head priest of the temple. Whenever Sajjad visits the temple ( often accompanied with his Muslim friends ) Pandit Kashi Nath applies 'tika' on Sajjad's forehead, and gives him 'prasad' to eat.
This year also on the occasion of Diwali Sajjad and his Muslim friends visited the Krishna temple.
In an interview by the prominent Pakistani newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt, Sajjad mentioned that Pandit Kashi Ram spoke warmly about the brotherhood and protection he and his family had experienced from their Muslim neighbours.
For Sajjad, a senior Pakistani journalist, anchor and columnist, his association with Pandit Kashi Ram is rooted in an old friendship and a shared belief in humanity, mutual respect and interfaith understanding.
As a journalist who values dialogue between different religious communities, Sajjad Azhar believes that friendship, respect and human dignity transcend religious identities. His friendship with Pandit Kashi Ram reflects this belief and represents the softer, more inclusive face of Pakistani society.
The relationship is a reminder that people of different faiths need not merely tolerate one another; they can build genuine friendships based on trust, affection and shared humanity.
Sajjad wrote on his Facebook page on the occasion of Diwali on 8th November 2026 :
'' Happy Diwali to all my dear friends ! 🪔
India ke doston, zara dekhiye ki Pakistan mein Hindu aur Muslim kis tarah mohabbat, khushi aur bhaicharay ke saath rehte hain.
Aaj Lahore ke Krishna Mandir mein Diwali ki khushiyon mein Chief Guest ke taur par shirkat ka mauqa mila. Is khoobsurat taqreeb mein mere saath Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board ke officers Additional Secretary Nasir Mushtaq, DS Syed Saadat, senior journalist Naeem Hassan Butt (Nawa-i-Waqt), Pandit Kashi Ram, aur Amarnath Randhawa bhi maujood the.
Yeh sirf Diwali ki khushi mein shirkat nahi, balki mohabbat, insaaniyat, mazhabi rawadari aur interfaith harmony ka aik khoobsurat paigham hai.
Sajjad Pirzada ki pehchaan nafrat nahi, mohabbat hai. Hamaara paigham taqseem nahi, ittihad hai. Yeh paigham sarhadon, mazhabon aur dilon tak har jagah pohanchna chaahiye.
Mohabbat zindabad, insaniyat zindabad, Pakistan Hindustan zindabad ! ''.
Long live Sajjad Azhar Pirzada and his like-minded friends !
(Justice Markandey Katju is an Indian jurist and a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He was also chairman of the Press Council of India from 2011 to 2014. These are his personal views.)
And yet Lahore gives me hope because of my journalist friend Sajjad Azhar Pirzada and other secular-minded people like him who live there.
Sajjad regularly visits the Krishna Mandir, a Hindu temple dedicated to the Hindu god Krishna located in Ravi Road, opposite of Timber Market in Lahore, Pakistan on Holi, Diwali and other Hindu religious occasions. In the contemporary era, it is one of two functional Hindu temples in Lahore, the other being Valmiki mandir.
His friend, Pandit Kashi Nath, is the head priest of the temple. Whenever Sajjad visits the temple ( often accompanied with his Muslim friends ) Pandit Kashi Nath applies 'tika' on Sajjad's forehead, and gives him 'prasad' to eat.
This year also on the occasion of Diwali Sajjad and his Muslim friends visited the Krishna temple.
In an interview by the prominent Pakistani newspaper Nawa-i-Waqt, Sajjad mentioned that Pandit Kashi Ram spoke warmly about the brotherhood and protection he and his family had experienced from their Muslim neighbours.
For Sajjad, a senior Pakistani journalist, anchor and columnist, his association with Pandit Kashi Ram is rooted in an old friendship and a shared belief in humanity, mutual respect and interfaith understanding.
As a journalist who values dialogue between different religious communities, Sajjad Azhar believes that friendship, respect and human dignity transcend religious identities. His friendship with Pandit Kashi Ram reflects this belief and represents the softer, more inclusive face of Pakistani society.
The relationship is a reminder that people of different faiths need not merely tolerate one another; they can build genuine friendships based on trust, affection and shared humanity.
Sajjad wrote on his Facebook page on the occasion of Diwali on 8th November 2026 :
'' Happy Diwali to all my dear friends ! 🪔
India ke doston, zara dekhiye ki Pakistan mein Hindu aur Muslim kis tarah mohabbat, khushi aur bhaicharay ke saath rehte hain.
Aaj Lahore ke Krishna Mandir mein Diwali ki khushiyon mein Chief Guest ke taur par shirkat ka mauqa mila. Is khoobsurat taqreeb mein mere saath Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board ke officers Additional Secretary Nasir Mushtaq, DS Syed Saadat, senior journalist Naeem Hassan Butt (Nawa-i-Waqt), Pandit Kashi Ram, aur Amarnath Randhawa bhi maujood the.
Yeh sirf Diwali ki khushi mein shirkat nahi, balki mohabbat, insaaniyat, mazhabi rawadari aur interfaith harmony ka aik khoobsurat paigham hai.
Sajjad Pirzada ki pehchaan nafrat nahi, mohabbat hai. Hamaara paigham taqseem nahi, ittihad hai. Yeh paigham sarhadon, mazhabon aur dilon tak har jagah pohanchna chaahiye.
Mohabbat zindabad, insaniyat zindabad, Pakistan Hindustan zindabad ! ''.
Long live Sajjad Azhar Pirzada and his like-minded friends !
(Justice Markandey Katju is an Indian jurist and a former judge of the Supreme Court of India. He was also chairman of the Press Council of India from 2011 to 2014. These are his personal views.)
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