QUETTA: The national flag was unfurled at the Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah Residency in Ziarat on Wednesday at a ceremony held to mark the birth anniversary of the founder of Pakistan.

Balochistan Chief Minister Jam Mir Kamal Khan Alyani, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, Southern Command Commander Lt General Waseem Ashraf, Inspector General of Frontier Corps in Balochistan Major General Syed Fayyaz Hussain Shah as well as provincial ministers, MPAs and a large number of people attended the ceremony.

The residency building was originally built as a sanatorium for British soldiers in 1892 before it became the governor general’s residence. It is also where the nation’s founder spent the last days of his life.

Chief Minister Jam Kamal in his speech highlighted the struggle undertaken by the Quaid to achieve a sovereign state for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

Hence, it was everyone’s responsibility to develop and protect the country, he said. Speaking about the prevailing situation in the country, he said, “We have to be united and foil nefarious designs of enemies who want to weaken Pakistan.”

Mr Suri in his address related the PTI government with the founder of the nation saying, “Prime Minister Imran Khan is struggling to create a welfare and democratic state just like Mohammad Ali Jinnah.”

“Unity, Faith and Discipline are like beacons of light for making Naya Pakistan — the Quaid’s true Pakistan. The decisive freedom movement spearheaded by the Quaid was a manifestation of his political insight and sagacity, as well as his firm commitment to the ideals of democracy and the rule of law until his last breath.”

Mr Suri urged the youth of the country to follow the principles and doctrine of the father of the nation and support the efforts of PM Imran Khan in making Pakistan a great nation.

He also mentioned in detail the happenings in neighbouring India vis-a-vis the controversial citizenship act and the stripping of the special status of Kashmir.

“It was Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who had given the concept of two-nation theory almost 80 years ago and Quaid’s theory has been proven right. The way the ruling BJP government of India has imposed the controversial citizenship act and the way they have abolished the constitutional rights of Muslims in occupied Kashmir; both these inhuman, illogical and biased attempts of the extremist Hindu party has proved that racial, cultural, religious, ethnic and other differences still exist in India.”

On the night of Aug 14, 2013 insurgents burned down Ziarat Residency made of limestone but was restored a year later by the Balochistan government.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2019