Leaders Mourn Passing of Pope Francis

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif conveyed their profound sadness on Monday following the demise of Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic Church.

In their respective statements, both leaders acknowledged the Pope’s significant global influence and his steadfast dedication to the causes of peace, harmony among different faiths, and the upholding of human dignity.

President Zardari voiced his deep sorrow regarding the Pope’s passing, recognizing his work to encourage interfaith dialogue, promote compassion, and foster peaceful coexistence.

He also emphasized Pope Francis’ notable efforts towards social justice and improving the welfare of vulnerable populations, underscoring the Pope’s influential advocacy for peace and fairness.

The President further commented that Pope Francis will be remembered for his efforts to unite diverse faith communities and nurture mutual understanding among them.

Similarly, PM Shehbaz expressed his sincere condolences, noting that Pope Francis consistently guided billions in the pursuit of peace, love, and mutual respect.

He stated that the late Pope embodied interfaith harmony, peace, and humanity, extending a message of love and tolerance worldwide.

The Prime Minister added that Pope Francis’ teachings had a motivating impact on people of all religions, not only Christians, and highlighted the Pope’s recent appeals for a cessation of hostilities in the Middle East as demonstrative of his dedication to peace.

PM Shehbaz also characterized Pope Francis’ death as an irreplaceable loss for the entire world, particularly the Christian community, and conveyed heartfelt sympathies on behalf of the Pakistani government and its people to the Vatican, the global Christian community, and his followers everywhere.