ISLAMABAD: The birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah will be celebrated across the country on Friday. Mr Jinnah was born on Dec 25, 1876, in Karachi.

The day has been declared a public holiday. A change of guard ceremony will be held at the Quaid’s mausoleum in Karachi early in the morning.

In their messages on the occasion, President Mam­noon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid tribute to the Quaid’s leadership.

The president urged the nation to forge unity to defeat the forces of extremism and militancy and try to uphold the principles of democracy, constitution and the rule of law. “Let us dedicate ourselves, on this historic occasion, to keep the unity of the country and glory of Islam uppermost in our thought and deed.”

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2015