ISLAMABAD, March 22: President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali have said that people will pledge anew to abide by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s guiding principles of ‘unity, faith and discipline’ and make Pakistan an impregnable fortress of democracy, peace and progress.

In separate messages on the Pakistan Day, they said it was an occasion to rekindle in us the fervour, zeal and dedication of the final phase of our freedom struggle and the early years of Pakistan.

The president said: “23rd of March is a momentous day in history of our country. This day is observed every year to remind us of the historic resolve of the Muslims of South Asia, who, on this very day in 1940, set out in the quest for an independent homeland of their own where they could live in peace, harmony and in accordance with the tenets of Islam.

“It was the unanimous will of the Muslims of the South Asia which enabled the creation of Pakistan under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. This year the day has dawned with a new era of democracy and supremacy of the will of people.” The prime minister said: “Let us pledge on this historic day to devote all our energies to the fulfilment of the ideals set for us by the founding father and the Pakistan Resolution. May Allah be our guide.

“This success bears testimony to the fact that no difficulty, however insurmountable it may seem, can stand in the way of a nation which is determined to achieve its aim through hard, dedicated and disciplined effort. It must be a constant reminder to everybody, at home and abroad, that the country will, Insha Allah, continue to grow from strength to strength.

“Our ideological strength lies in our firm adherence to Islam, and our progress and prosperity depend on the cherished principles of unity, faith and discipline — the motto given us by the Father of the Nation. Let me add that without acting on this motto, consciously and sincerely, we cannot hope to build our future on the lines visualized in the Pakistan Resolution.” “On the anniversary of the Resolution we have to remember that the Quaid’s motto was for everyone in Pakistan — the rich and the poor, the ruler and the ruled, women as much as men, young as well as old, and, of course, for all the provinces and regions of the country. Without keeping these facts in mind we shall lose the inspiration in these three words and wonder aimlessly as a nation.”