Muhammad Ali Jinnah Park inaugurated in Canada's Winnipeg

WINNIPEG: Hundreds of people living across Canada attended the inaugural ceremony of first-ever public park in North America to be named after Pakistan's founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, a press release states.  

The public park situated in Winnipeg city of Manitoba province in Canada was inaugurated on Sunday.

While speaking on the occasion, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Tariq Azim Khan said credit goes to the Pakistani-Canadian community in Manitoba for successfully naming the park after Pakistan's founder.

He paid glowing tributes to the sacrifices rendered by their founding father in order to have a separate homeland for Muslims in the subcontinent.

The high commissioner, while acknowledging struggles of the Pakistani community, referred to a quote by Jinnah, “With faith, discipline and selfless devotion to duty, there is nothing worthwhile you cannot achieve”.

Tariq Azim said the community in Winnipeg was promoting and showcasing Pakistani culture and represented a soft image of the country by holding cultural events. He added the Pakistani community in Canada was acting as a bridge between communities.

Dr Rashid Bahri, community leader who led the campaign for Jinnah Park, said, “Muhammad Ali Jinnah is closer to the heart of people of Pakistan and this park will remind our future generations about our great leader”.

Masrur Khan, the president of Pakistan Student Association Manitoba, said it was a historic day for Pakistanis in Canada.

Terry Duguid and Iqra Khalid, members of the Canadian parliament, also addressed the ceremony and congratulated the Pakistani community in achieving this milestone.

City Councillor Janice Lukes said on the occasion she was very happy to work with the Pakistani community for maintenance of the park and to make it worthwhile for families to visit and hold cultural galas there.

She announced preparing a cricket ground within the park area for local cricket tournaments.

Originally published in The News