ISLAMABAD / LAHORE / KARACHI: In their separate messages on the occasion of Pakistan Day, President Arif Alvi, Prime Minster Shehbaz Sharif, speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly and the Punjab governor conveyed their greetings and congratulated the nation.

In his message, Prime Minster Shehbaz Sharif described March 23 as an “epoch-making day in our national history”, saying that it reminds us of our past, invites us to ponder over our present state of affairs and inspires us to build a prosperous future.

He said this day is also the day to renew our pledges and takes us back to 1940 when Muslims of the sub-continent approved a resolution for the establishment of a separate homeland they could call their own under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The prime minister said it was Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s dream of freedom that manifested itself in the form of a resolution representing Muslims’ demands, and aspirations for a separate homeland.

The consequential seven years witnessed history in the making as the Quaid-i-Azam led a struggle to translate the dream of Iqbal into reality, he said.

He also highlighted that being a member of the international community, Pakistan had played the role of a responsible nation in the resolution of problems facing humanity and in establishing global peace.

He stressed that we should not lose sight of the challenges staring us in the face while celebrating this day and asked the nation to pay tribute to the sacrifices of the country’s founding-fathers.

There was no doubt that Pakistan was destined to achieve great heights and said that this day should be used to introspect and hold ourselves to account as only those nations that are capable of analysing their past, learning from their mistakes and making amends can achieve true glory, he added.

President’s message

President Dr Arif Alvi on Wednesday approved a remission for the prisoners on the occasion of Pakistan Day annually observed on March 23.

The president granted a remission of 90 days in sentences exercising his powers under Article 45 of the Constitution. President Dr Arif Alvi has expressed confidence that Pakistan has the ability to overcome the challenges it faced today and said that working with unity, faith, and discipline would make the country strong and prosperous.

In his message to the nation, he mentioned that the country established state institutions, made its defence impregnable, achieved nuclear deterrence, curbed terrorism, overcame the Covid-19 pandemic, and displayed the spirit of sacrifice and cooperation in the face of natural calamities.

However, he said, we still have a long way to go to ensure the rule of law, strengthen democracy, reduce inequalities in our society, empower women, provide the rights of persons with disabilities, eradicate terrorism and extremism, ensure the political and economic stability of the country, and protect the human rights of our citizens.

Today, we pay tribute to the founding fathers of our nation whose struggles and sacrifices led to the creation of Pakistan, he said.

The president said the persecution of minorities, especially the Muslims in India, the rising wave of violence against Muslims, violation of human rights, and brutalities being committed by the Indian security forces in the Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir proved that the Muslim leadership of that time made a prudent decision.

He recalled that at the time of independence, the country faced many challenges but despite these challenges it made tremendous achievements in every field through continuous hard work and ability.

Speaker, deputy speaker congratulate nation

Speaker National Assembly, Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Deputy Speaker, Zahid Akram Durrani, on the eve of Pakistan Day congratulated the nation in their messages.

They said the day of 23rd March 1940 held a unique significance in the history of the subcontinent.

Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf, in his congratulatory message to the nation, said that 83 years ago today, the Muslims of South Asia under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah pledged to fight for a separate homeland for themselves in Lahore.

He said that Pakistan resolution led the Muslim nation towards new direction and inculcate in their enthusiasm to achieve freedom and independence.

Raja Pervez Ashraf said that Quaid-e-Azam followed principles of peace and tolerance and love for humanity in letter and spirit which inspired not only to the Muslims of India but also other minorities living in the subcontinent.

He paid tribute to the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam and said that it was the wise leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah which helped Muslims to get separate homeland.

He said that the economic stability of the country was connected with political stability.

Deputy Speaker National Assembly Zahid Akram Dur­rani said that the Pakistan Resolution breathed new life into the freedom movement and united Muslims on one platform to achieve a great goal.

He expressed his determination that he will not hesitate to make any kind of sacrifice for the sake of building and developing the country.

Referring to the country’s defense institutions, he said that the sacrifices offered by Pakistan’s armed forces and law enforcement agencies for the country’s survival cannot be forgotten.

Punjab governor’s message

Governor Punjab, Muhammad Balighur Rehman, has said the Pakistan Day reminds that nothing is impossible when nations dedicate themselves towards achievement of a goal.

In his message on the eve of March 23 (Pakistan Day) here on Wednesday, he said establishment of Pakistan in almost seven and a half years after the passage of Pakistan Resolution on March 23, 1940 shows the faith and determination of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the elders of Muslim League.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2023