March 24, 2023
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Day was celebrated with national pride, zeal and fervour around the globe including the United Arab Emirates and United States on Thursday.
The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi hosted an elegant flag-hoisting ceremony to celebrate the Pakistan day, which was attended by a large number of Pakistani community members residing in the UAE. The auspicious day was also marked in China and the United States.
During the ceremony, messages from the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan were read out, and the students of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Arab Pakistan School presented national tableaus on national songs, Emirates news agency Wam reported .
In his address, Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi emphasised the significance of the national day, urging the Pakistani community to contribute towards nation-building and the betterment of the country. He requested the Pakistani community to promote tourism and investment opportunities in Pakistan among the UAE nationals and residents, showcasing the rich cultural diversity, natural beauty, delicious cuisine, and warm hospitality of its people.
The ambassador expressed his satisfaction with the upward trajectory of Pakistan-UAE relations and thanked the UAE government and its leadership for being steadfast friends of Pakistan.
He underscored the deep historic relations between the two countries, whose foundation was laid by the founding father of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
In conclusion, the ambassador urged Pakistani students to excel in academic and extra-curricular activities to make Pakistan proud and strong.
Pakistan Day was celebrated with national spirit and great fervor at the Embassy of Pakistan, Beijing.
Pakistan Day commemorates the passing of the Lahore Resolution on March 23, 1940, when the All-India Muslim League demanded a separate homeland for the Muslims of the British Indian Empire.
The ceremony commenced with the recitation of verses from Holy Quran. Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque raised the national flag and hoisted it to the mast’s summit, with the invigorating tune of the national anthem.
The messages of Presided Dr. Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were read out on the occasion.
Addressing on the occasion, Ambassador Haque paid glowing tribute to the relentless struggle of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other founding father of the nation.
He said that 83 years ago, father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah presented the demand for an independent Muslim state in the subcontinent. And with the support of the millions of Muslims of the subcontinent, the dream of independence was translated into a reality on 14 August 1947.
Ambassador Haque said that Pakistan and China were all-weather friends and strategic cooperative partners and both the countries under the guidance of respective leadership would take the friendship to an even higher level in the future.
He thanked the Chinese government and people for extending unprecedented help during last year’s devastating floods in Pakistan.
Reiterating Pakistan’s principled stand over Kashmir issue, the ambassador said that Pakistan would continue to extend its moral and diplomatic support to Kashmiris in their struggle for the right to self-determination granted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.
Ambassador Haque remarked that today, Pakistan was a fifth largest nation with 220 million proud, hardworking, and talented people.
“Our armed forces and other security agencies along with the people have made unmatched sacrifices to protect the nation and fight against extremism and terrorism,” he added.
He also appreciated the member of Pakistani community living across China for their contributions and for representing Pakistan while being away from their homes and families.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials, businessmen, teachers, students, media persons and Pakistani community in China.
The national flag was unfurled at the Pakistan House, which houses the country’s Mission to the United Nations and the Consulate General in New York, at a simple ceremony to celebrate the 83rd Pakistan day.
The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran, and, as Pakistan’s Ambassador Munir Akram hoisted the green crescent and star, the national anthem was played.
Consul General Ayesha Ali then read out the message of President Arif Alvi, and Ambassador Aamir Khan, the deputy permanent representative to the UN, delivered the message of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Jibran Durrani of the Pakistan Mission moderated the ceremony, which was attended by members of the mission and the consulate general.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Akram highlighted the importance of the Lahore Resolution which led to the establishment of Pakistan. He paid tributes to Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the sacrifices made by the Muslims of the sub-continent for the freedom movement.
“On Pakistan Day, we cannot forget the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “As we witness the suffering of our Kashmiri brothers and sisters, living under Indian occupation, as we see the officially sanctioned discrimination and violence against the 200 million Muslims of India, we cannot but express our gratitude, and the gratitude of our children and their children, for the freedoms that we – Pakistanis – enjoy in our sovereign and independent state.”
Ambassador Akram expressed his appreciation for the work being done by officials of the Pakistan Mission and the Consulate General New York, saying, “I will say with all modesty that we have established a standard of performance, which does credit to Pakistan, and I thank all of you and to the hard work that all of you put in every day”.
Pakistan, he said, enjoys huge respect at the United Nations, for the positive role it plays in all its fora.