LAHORE: Pakistan Day commemorating the historic Lahore Resolution passage on March 23, 1940, which led the Muslims of the sub-continent for a separate homeland, was marked with zeal and fervour on Thursday.
The day dawned with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in provincial capitals. Special prayers were offered in mosques after Fajr prayers for the progress and prosperity of the country.
A contingent of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) took command of Allama Iqbal’s Mausoleum in Lahore in a change of guard ceremony. Air vice Marshal Syed Imran Majid Ali was the Chief Guest on the occasion who laid a floral wreath on the national poet’s grave and offered fateha.
Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah visited the Quaid-e-Azam’s Mausoleum in Karachi to pay respects to the father of the nation.
However, the main show of the day i.e., the joint armed forces parade, which was scheduled to be held on a limited scale this year due to austerity measures, has been called off till Saturday due to bad weather.
Radio and TV channels presented special programmes highlighting the significance of the day and pay tribute to the leaders and workers of Pakistan Movement.
An investiture ceremony to confer civil awards upon personalities who showed excellence in their respective field was held at Aiwan-e-Sadr. President Dr Arif Alvi conferred a total of 253 civil awards to Pakistani as well as foreign nationals.
Governor Punjab Baligh-ur-Rehman conferred civil awards to various personalities from different walks of life in a ceremony held at Governor House in Lahore. Similar ceremonies were held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Sindh and Balochistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has renewed the call for awakening the spirit of service to the nation. In a tweet on the occasion of Pakistan Day today, the PM said on this Day, the nation pays homage to the founding fathers for their political wisdom, sagacity & determination to wage a relentless struggle for a separate homeland.
Shehbaz said the day is a reminder that human will is capable of attaining the impossible no matter what the challenges be. He said living nations put themselves to rigorous audit and undergo their introspection & accountability.
Earlier, in his message on the day, the premier said that political chaos was the main reason for the country’s economic instability. “The challenges are topped by a combination of economic instability and the inability to settle the rules of the game. An environment of political chaos explains why we have failed to develop our economy on a sustainable basis,” said the PM.
For Pakistan to achieve great heights, the countrymen will have to forge unity in our ranks, equip ourselves with national purpose and vow to wage a struggle in line with the legacy of our forefathers.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023
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