LAHORE, Aug 13: The country needs freedom from all kinds of exploitation, poverty and dependence, says Archbishop Lawrence J. Saldanha, the head of the Catholic Church in Pakistan.

Congratulating all countrymen on the 58th Independence Day of Pakistan, he urged them to continue the struggle for more freedom, equality and justice.

He said in a statement on Saturday: “The day reminds of the time when we were governed by colonial powers and the days of struggle for political and civil liberties. However, it also calls for more struggles as a vast majority of the people in Pakistan continue to live under inhuman and depressing conditions.

“The political domination is still to be fought against. The regional peace and peaceful co-existence need to be pursued with vigour and commitment,” he said.

The people of Pakistan and India, he said, had rendered their strongest support to the peace and confidence building process between the two countries. Policies aimed at preparation for war, building and purchasing expensive arsenal, and testing weapons of mass destruction should be outrightly stopped in the region, he advised.

The Archbishop said an integrated human development was possible only when the policies were geared towards bringing freedom and independence for the individuals.