PESHAWAR, Dec 30: The government has brought about vital changes in the governing system, bringing the country closer to achieving the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

This was stated by NWFP Minister for Information and Education Syed Imtiaz Hussain Gilani, while speaking at a seminar on “Quaid’s Vision of Pakistan” organized by the Society of Asian Civilization at the Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, said a handout, issued here on Sunday.

Quoting the popular speech delivered by the Quaid-i-Azam on Aug 11, 1947, the minister said the father of the nation had been a forward-looking leader, who had regarded every citizen equal before law irrespective of caste, creed and religion.

By deviating from the Quaid’s teachings, he said, the country was heading towards a situation, which “we can’t afford and, therefore,” the government had introduced some basic changes in the system of governance. The participatory governance scheme envisioned by the National Reconstruction Bureau, he added, had improved things at the lower as well as the top level to a greater extent.

The minister said the government was planning to introduce English as a medium of instruction from class VI.

He remarked that the ruling class in the past had always manipulated everything in their favour, which had shattered public confidence in the government.

Other speakers, including Shariful Mujahid, Dr Naurin Talha, Dr Razia Sultana, Naveed Qamar, Z. A. Qureshi and Farooq Ahmad, observed that the Quaid-i-Azam had wanted Pakistan to be a pluralistic Islamic state.

Mahmud Ali, a prominent worker of the Pakistan Movement, quoting the Quaid’s speech delivered at the inauguration ceremony of the State Bank of Pakistan, said the Quaid had wanted “equitable distribution of wealth” and Islamic socialism in the country.