26 December 2004	Sunday	13 Ziqa'ad 1425

LAHORE, Dec 25: Former senator Dr Javid Iqbal said on Saturday Pakistan had come to stay and no power could harm it and its ideology.

He was speaking at a meeting held by the Nazaria-i-Pakistan Foundation and the Pakistan Movement Workers Trust at their auditorium on the 128th birth anniversary of the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on Saturday.

He said the Quaid-i-Azam had advised the youth on several occasions during the national movement that their mission was not only to achieve Pakistan, but also to make it a strong nation in the world.

He said nations took a long time to develop themselves. They faced trials and tribulations and became successful only after going through those. The forward march of Pakistan, he said, must be continued and the people should not get disheartened at the criticism of (some people) against Pakistan and its ideology. "Pakistan will prosper and so will its ideology," he asserted.

He recalled that in 1936 when he was just 12, he had the opportunity of meeting the Quaid-i-Azam, who had come to see his father Allama Iqbal.

Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Dr Nasim Hasan Shah urged the youth to make Pakistan as visualized by the great leader. He dispelled the impression that people had not worked for the country's development, saying it (Pakistan) had certainly made progress that should be continued by the generations to come.

The Quaid's life was full of struggle, he said, and asked the youth to study his biography and speeches to understand his vision of Pakistan. He recalled the day when the Quaid addressed the Muslim League session in Lahore in 1940, which adopted the Lahore Resolution demanding separate homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent.

MNA Begum Mehnaz Rafi said the ruling politicians as well as the opposition had failed to make Pakistan according to the wishes of Allama Iqbal and the Quaid-i-Azam. She attributed this failure to the fact that the people had forgotten the Quaid's motto of "Unity, Faith and Discipline."

According to Punjab Special Education Minister Qudsia Lodhi, the founder of Pakistan had encouraged women to participate in the movement. She said credit must be given to Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi for openly declaring in response to the Indian Punjab chief minister's statement that borders of Pakistan could not be changed.

Labour Leader Khurshid Ahmad said Pakistan had been achieved with great sacrifices of the Muslims of the sub-continent. The Quaid had achieved the country to rescue Muslims against poverty, as he had declared in 1943 that he did not want Pakistan for the exploitation of the poor by capitalists. But his dream remained unrealized, as the rich had become richer and the poor poorer, he regretted.