ISLAMABAD: Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif on Friday called that nation to pledge for further strengthening the country on its upcoming diamond jubilee 75th Independence Day celebrations would be marked across the country with national zeal and spirit. He was addressing the ‘Pakistan Youth Convention’ along with Federal Minister for Education Rana Tanveer Hussain, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Shaza Fatima Khawaja. Khawaja said Pakistan’s population youth bulge was around 65% of its total population which was an asset. “It is actually our future. We have spent our lives and seen Pakistan progressing for 75 years and pray for its further stability and progress. Our youth is leading different sectors like politics, military, bureaucracy, media, business etc.” The minister said that the policy makers, leaders and stakeholders should set the target to give a Pakistan free from hatred and division which had love, tolerance and harmony. “When the societies are fed with hatred, discrimination they just wither away. The generations that of me or my parents, the historians will judge that what we have done for this country and what has not been done,” he said. Khawja mentioned that the sense of hopelessness was permeating into our population particularly among the youth that had to be changed into opportunity and end this dejection. “Information Minister Marriyum told me that a great celebration would have to be held for celebrating 75 years of independence but I agreed to her with a caveat,” he remarked. He continued saying that the biggest element in this diamond jubilee celebrations should be of accountability, adding, “This motherland—the blessing of God what we have done to it.” He said the Pakistanis of 1947 had a passion, love for motherland and an enthusiasm for a bright future. “You all should ask this question that is that spirit and commitment still prevailing after 75 years?” he added. He further queried that were we pursuing our personal agendas or national agenda? Is the center of every focus and effort is our own self or our nation and state? “This is due from us that we ask these questions to ourselves before celebrating our 75 years of independence,” the minister said while sharing the caveat he set for the diamond jubilee celebrations. During the 75th years of journey, he said the nation had lost half of the country, adding, “We also lost the culture of our norms and traditions of harmony. Our new generation—the youth is deprived of that pure and sacred norms of our ancestors inherited to us.” He urged the participants of the convention to vow that they all were going to create a society where the youth would live with hope and had expectations from the state. “They get jobs, secure source of income, quality education, become responsible citizens of society, and the biggest thing is that first and foremost their commitment to this state shall come first and precede to their personal motives ,” he added. He said that when our relationship with our country would be strong then everything else would follow. “I request all that today 75th Independence Day is coming ahead and let us consider rendering our commitment that what we have done to this country in these years. May God bless us to make this state stronger in the coming 75 or 75000 years,” he ended.