LAHORE - The Nazria-i-Pakistan Trust and the Tehreek-i-Pakistan Workers’ Trust jointly marked 71st Independence Day on Monday with great enthusiasm and urged every citizen to play role for development and prosperity of the country.
Addressing the ceremony, NPT Chairman Muhammad Rafiq Tarar wished the guests ‘Independence Day’. He said Pakistan is the Almighty’s gift and result of ancestors’ great efforts and sacrifices.
He paid tribute to Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, saying that it was luck of the Muslims of subcontinent that they had a leader like him who gave them a great country to live in. Tarar said Pakistan would become a real Islamic state if the sayings of the great Quaid were followed. “All of us should resolve to work for development of the country,” he stressed.
Pakistan would remain till the end of the day while occupied Kashmir would be part of Pakistan, he asserted. Tarar said it was not just the responsibility of the governments as every individual should play his due role for development of Pakistan and face all hurdles in this way. He also said we must believe that Quaid’s life was in accordance with the teachings of Quran and Sunnah and Quaid’s vision for Pakistan purely was for Islam.
“Let’s promise to protect Pakistan’s Islamic ideology and make self-accountability as our hallmark,” said the NPT chairman. The particpants of the ceremony also hoisted flag at Aiwan-i-Karkunan-i-Tehreek-i-Pakistan. NPT’s vice president Prof Dr Rafiq Ahmad, former chief justice and Tehreek-i- Pakistan Workers Trust chairman Mian Mahboob Ahmad, Justice (r) Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, Justice (r) Mian Aftab Farrukh, NPT Chief Coordinator Mian Farooq Altab, Ch Naeem Hussain Chattha, Iftikhar Ali Malik, Begum Mehnaz Rafih, Begum Bushra Rehman, Sharaqpur Sharif Shrine’s custodian Sahibzada Mian Waleed Ahmad Sharaqpuri, Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali, Pakistan Movement workers including Col (r) Ikramullah Khan, and others also spoke on the occasion.
Dr Rafiq Ahmad said we should respect freedom, adding that there were several movements in Indian states. “[The] Movement for freedom in Kashmir was one of the movements in India where people were sacrificing for their real freedom,” he said.
“We should focus on teaching of our ideology and should promise for Pakistan’s progress,” he urged.
Mian Mehboob Ahmad said it was result of the efforts of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal that we have our own country today.
Justice (r) Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday said Muslims sacrificed for their separate homeland. He said now we all should play our role for this country.
Justice (r) Mian Aftab Farrukh said it is a day to revive our promise and accountability.
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