Overview

• President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari issued Diwali messages stressing unity, religious freedom and the Hindu community’s contributions.
• Hindu communities marked the festival across Rawalpindi–Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore with temple rites and diyas, while local leaders renewed calls for a cremation ground near the twin cities and fixed quotas for Hindu youth in jobs and education.
• Officials in Ayodhya said more than 2.6 million lamps were lit on the Saryu River ghats, retaining the site’s Guinness World Record from last year.
• Delhi’s air quality worsened during festivities, with fine particulates reaching an AQI of about 347 according to SAFAR, after the Supreme Court allowed time‑bound use of certified ‘green’ firecrackers.
• Global greetings poured in from leaders including US President Donald Trump, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Australia’s Anthony Albanese, Singapore’s Lawrence Wong and the UAE’s Sheikh Mohammed, while India’s Narendra Modi celebrated with naval personnel aboard INS Vikrant.