The preparations to mark the Independence Day on August 14 are at peak as great enthusiasm is being shown by people of all age groups with each passing day.
Independence Day reminds us the unforgettable contributions of our great leaders of Pakistan Movement who devoted their lives for acquiring an independent state where Muslims of Indo-Pak subcontinent could live freely.
Several activities have been planned by civil society and public departments on national level including competitions, exhibitions and discussion programmes to highlight the achievements of freedom fighters and pay tribute to their services. A prominent worker of Pakistan Movement Muhammad Khan Naqshbandi while sharing his experiences in an interview with APP told that one of the striking feature of the Pakistan Movement was that the Muslims of undivided India achieved their cherished goal of acquiring an independent Islamic state within a short span of seven years.
Pakistan Movement was started in 1940, with the passage of the Lahore resolution, at the All India Muslim League's session in Lahore and Pakistan came into being on August 14, 1947.
No Independence Movement during the last 2 or 3 centuries was achieved in such a short period and that too without any war or aggression, he said. Naqshbandi said that the Muslim students in length and breadth of undivided India played a unique role in Pakistan Movement.
These students can be rightly called as the reign guard of Pakistan Movement. The basic objective of the establishment of Pakistan after achievement, he elaborated, was to set up an Islamic, democratic and a welfare state. Youth must play its role in achieving these objectives through concrete efforts for setting up a social welfare state.
This is the real time, he said, for reviving the spirit of Pakistan Movement through forging unity, faith and discipline among the people living in various parts of the country as was witnessed during the freedom struggle.
It is to be noted that M K Naqshbandi was awarded a Tehreek-e-Pakistan Gold Medal on August 14, 1989 for his contribution to achieve the objectives of Muslims of Indo-Pak Subcontinent and would be looked with great reverence. He was also awarded "Quaid-e-Azam Award" on the occasion of Golden Jubilee celebrations by Quiad-e-Azam Welfare Society to commemorate his services in Pakistan movement.
M.K Naqshbandi is a veteran journalist retired from Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), national news agency after performing 40 years of services.