Daily Times

LAHORE: Adviser to the Prime Minister on National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui Thursday claimed there was no rift between government and military as portrayed by some quarters.

Operation Zarb-e-Azb was collectively launched by the present government and army to eliminate terrorism, the adviser said while speaking at the launching ceremony of a thematic calendar here on Thursday.

The Jahan-e-Masiha Adbi Forum (JMAF) in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company launched the thematic calendar on history of Pakistan to apprise the people, especially medical fraternity and students, of struggle and sacrifices behind creation of Pakistan.

Senior literary personalities, including eminent writer and poet Khwaja Razi Haider, Prof Dr Fareed Zafar, Prof Dr Sajid Maqbool, Prof Dr Tariq Waseem, Prof Dr Zohra Khanam, Prof Dr Asma Gul, Syed Jamshed Ahmed and Dr Iqbal Ahmed also addressed the ceremony.

The advisor maintained that launch of Operation Zarb-e-Azb was not a military decision alone; instead it was launched with the political will of the present government.

“No such operation was carried out in Musharraf era; then came the five-year tenure of Pakistan People’s Party but they also did not make any effort to root out terrorism from our soil. It was the political will of this government that resulted in the launching of a joint operation by military, government and people of Pakistan,” he claimed.

He said elections would be held as per schedule and people of Pakistan would decide whether to change the government or they were satisfied with its performance.

Terming launch of thematic calendar a good effort to introduce Pakistan movement and struggle of Pakistan among doctors and common people, he said it was an ‘ideological tonic’, prepared by a pharmaceutical company with the help of some literary personalities and should be followed by other medicine firms in the country.

He also expressed sorrow and grief over loss of 48 lives in PIA plane crash near Abbottabad including death renowned figure Junaid Jamshed.

Speaking on the occasion, Jahan-e-Masiha Adbi Forum chief organiser Khwaja Razi Haider said they had been brining thematic calendars for the last 17 years in order to promote literature, reading habit and promote ideology of Pakistan to present a soft image of the country.

He maintained that their target audience was the medical fraternity and doctors, who had become machines due to their hectic schedule and way of life but Jahan-e-Masiha Adbi Forum was striving hard to promote reading habits and literary sense among them.

Pharmevo Chief Operating Officer Syed Jamshed Ahmed said, “By bringing out this calendar regularly for the last 17 years, we have no monetary benefits. We are doing purely for the society, our friends in the field of medicine and common people as part of our social responsibility.”

Prof Dr Asma Gul said it was heartening to learn that a pharmaceutical company was involved in literary activities, saying they also hold book festivals, literary activities and promote reading habits.

Dozens of doctors and physicians as well as pharmacists from various hospitals and health facilities attended the launching ceremony.