Daily Times

The nation on Wednesday celebrated birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with renewed commitment to work hard for progress and prosperity of the country.

It was a public holiday on Wednesday and national flag was hoisted at all public and private buildings. The day dawned with Qur’an Khawani at the Quaid’s mausoleum in Karachi. A graceful change of guards ceremony was held at the Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi in the morning. A contingent of Pakistan Military Academy Kakul assumed the guard duty. Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and Governor Imran Ismail also visited Jinnah’s mausoleum on the occasion.

Special events were planned for the day in order to shine a light on Jinnah’s life and legacy. A number of events, including seminars, debates and exhibitions, were held at official and civil society levels to highlight the life, achievements and different aspects of the personality of the Quaid.

Radio Pakistan broadcast special programmes, discussions, interviews and reports to highlight different phases of independence struggle and the leadership role of Quaid-e-Azam. In his message on the occasion, President Arif Alvi termed Jinnah a “visionary man who envisaged a separate identity, needs and political direction of the Muslims of the subcontinent”. “The acumen of his foresight and vision can be witnessed even today with the prevailing conditions in India and occupied Kashmir,” said the president and urged the nation to stand united and re-affirm faith in his teachings. Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his message for the nation, said that the best way to pay homage to the Quaid on his birth anniversary is to adhere to his principles of ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’.

Both the president and the prime minister said that the Indian government’s move to strip occupied Kashmir’s special status and its actions have again vindicated the conviction of the great Quaid.

In a tweet, the prime minister said that on Jinnah’s birthday “we as a nation must resolve to build Pakistan in accordance with his vision of an Islamic welfare state based on compassion [and] human dignity; justice [and] rule of law; [and] a plural inclusive society.”

In a subsequent tweet, he said aspiring young leaders should make Jinnah their rode model. “He was Sadiq [and] Ameen; [and] his 40-year struggle was not for personal gain but to achieve a homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent where they could live as free citizens second to none.” Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif echoed similar sentiments, saying that “events taking place across the border have reaffirmed [Jinnah’s] vision, political wisdom and far-sightedness”. “We can’t thank the Quaid enough for his gift that is Pakistan,” he tweeted.

Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, while speaking to media outside Jinnah’s mausoleum, said it is imperative to remember that the first principle of Jinnah’s teachings is ‘Unity’.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi paid tribute to the nation’s founder and added that Jinnah was a “leader, who believed in law and justice”. “A man of great vision who foresaw the importance of two separate nations,” Qureshi tweeted. “72 years later Quaid’s worst critics concede that he was right.” Addressing an event in Islamabad, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan said that along with Christmas being celebrated on December 25, the day also marks the birth of Jinnah, “who shifted the paradigm of the entire region” and made clear that the vision and commitment of the leadership matters.