KARACHI: The 142nd birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was observed in the metropolis on Monday with national spirit as the Sindh governor, chief minister, higher civil and military officials and political leaders visited his mausoleum to pay homage to Father of the Nation. Early in the morning, a smartly turned out contingent of cadets from the Pakistan Military Academy, Kakul, mounted ceremonial guard as a part of the birthday celebrations.Major General Akhtar Nawaz Satti, commandant of the Pakistan Military Academy, reviewed the parade, laid a wreath, presented salute and offered Fateha, said a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Later, delegations of higher government offices, senior officials and leaders of political parties visited the mausoleum and offered Fateha.

The Sindh governor, Mohammad Zubair, and chief minister Syed Murad Ali Shah with members of the provincial cabinet visited the mausoleum and laid wreaths and offered Fateha. Sindh chief secretary Rizwan Memon and IG A. D. Khowaja also accompanied them.

“The Quaid-i-Azam was an eminent jurist and a visionary personality and with his untiring efforts, commitment and peaceful struggle, he secured a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent in the shape of Pakistan,” wrote the Sindh governor in the visitor’s book. “Every year December 25 reminds us to follow the guiding principles of Quaid-i-Azam and his vision. This would enable us to attain a faster development in the comity of nations.”

Later talking to reporters, CM Shah said the country and all pillars of the state should move forward in line with the teachings of the Quaid, which could lead Pakistan to become a developed and the most civilised country of the world.

Pakistan People’s Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also paid rich tribute to the founder of the nation. He, in his message, said that Quaid-i-Azam’s vision for future Pakistan had been dented by the dictatorial regimes.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2017