Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah visited the Mazar-e-Quaid on Monday to pay tribute to the Founder of Pakistan, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, on the occasion of Pakistan Day.
Upon his arrival at the mausoleum, the chief minister was warmly received by his cabinet members, the chief secretary, IG Police and Commissioner Karachi. Governor Sindh Nehal Hashmi also reached the mausoleum, where the chief minister welcomed him, according to a news release.
The two leaders laid floral wreaths and offered Fateha for the soul of the founder of the nation.
Speaking to the media on the occasion, Murad Ali Shah said he had come to pay homage to Quaid-e-Azam on March 23rd, the historic day that marked the passage of the Pakistan Resolution in Lahore 86 years ago. He noted that Sindh had played a pioneering role in the movement for Pakistan, adding that the Sindh Assembly had also passed a resolution supporting the creation of Pakistan soon after the Lahore Resolution, laying the foundation for the creation of Pakistan.
The chief minister said that Pakistan, which gained independence on August 14, 1947, had faced many challenges since its creation but continued to move forward with resilience.
Paying tribute to national leaders, he said Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto strengthened Pakistan’s defence capabilities and laid the foundation of the country’s nuclear programme, while Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto further enhanced Pakistan’s strategic strength through the missile programme.
Murad Ali Shah said that today Pakistan stands strong under the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, while the country’s armed forces remain fully vigilant under the leadership of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir. “The enemy cannot even cast an evil eye on Pakistan,” he said.
The chief minister stressed that Pakistan needed to follow the guiding principles of unity, faith and discipline as laid down by Quaid-e-Azam. “In view of the prevailing situation in the region, we must remain united and rise above our differences to defend Pakistan,” he said.
Murad Ali Shah also expressed concern over regional tensions, condemning aggression against Iran and praising the Pakistan Army’s operations against terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan.
The CM reiterated Pakistan’s stance on global issues, condemning Indian atrocities in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Israeli violence in Palestine, and called for peace in the Muslim world. “There is no benefit for the region or the Muslim world in war. We must pray for peace and urge Muslim leaders to work towards ending tensions,” he said.
Referring to development projects, the chief minister said that since 2018, he had consistently raised the issue that the federal government had not been allocating adequate development projects to Sindh. However, he acknowledged that the situation had improved under the current federal government.
“On our demand, Sindh has been given development projects in the present federal setup,” he said, adding that he had always advocated for the province’s share in national development initiatives.
The chief minister expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for allocating development projects and funds for Sindh. “I am thankful to Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif for not only approving development projects for Sindh but also allocating funds for them,” he said.
Murad Ali Shah reiterated that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh would continue to struggle for the province’s constitutional rights. “At the same time, we will make decisions in the national interest and will not compromise on the rights of Sindh,” he added.
Highlighting the importance of Quaid-e-Azam’s guiding principles, the chief minister said that if the nation failed to follow the principle of unity, it would harm Pakistan. “We must act according to the first principle of Quaid-e-Azam – unity – otherwise it will damage the country,” he said.
The chief minister further emphasised that the younger generation should be familiarised with the ideology and vision of Quaid-e-Azam so that Pakistan could move towards economic and social stability. Later, Murad Ali Shah recorded his impressions in the visitors’ book at the Mazar-e-Quaid. Concluding his remarks, the chief minister extended Pakistan Day greetings to the nation.