NEW YORK: Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations (UN) Maleeha Lodhi on Sunday said the public confidence in the future of Pakistan is at an unprecedented level at the moment, according to Geo News report.
Speaking at the Pakistan Day celebrations, the ambassador read out a special message from President Arif Alvi, and said, "The significance of Pakistan Day this time comes with the national morale at a record high and public confidence in the future of the country also at an unprecedented level.
"It is also borne out by the way the nation had responded to the "recent challenges from our neighbourhood," she added. She said that resilience and self-belief were the defining features of Pakistan's journey. "A journey that saw the country braving the odds and defying the pessimism some held about the country's future," she said.
She was speaking at a community event at the Pakistani consulate and asking guests to join her for cake-cutting in connection with Pakistan Day celebrations. "Today, Pakistanis look to the future with hope and optimism," Lodhi added.
About the significance of Pakistan Resolution in the freedom struggle, the envoy paid rich tribute to Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah who led the historic struggle of the Muslims of the Subcontinent for an independent homeland.
She added that under a new and confident leadership, Pakistan today is making important gains in its journey towards progress and prosperity. "We remain determined to translate Quaid's vision into reality and ensure that people of Pakistan continue to enjoy the fruits of peace, security and development in a prospering welfare state."
She appreciated the role of diaspora and said it was a model community but still needed to do more in portraying a positive image of the country.
The ceremony concluded with a ''dua'' for the prosperity and progress of Pakistan. Members of Pakistan’s armed forces serving as UN peacekeepers also joined the ceremony.