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Friday April 19, 2024

Significance of Pakistan Day

Ordinary citizens used to feel strong and exhibit unity on every March 23 remembered as Pakistan Day. But, frankly speaking, they seem to have forgotten its significance. Is it because their memory has been hit by socio-economic problems as a result of what some people say ‘not so good governance’?Until

By Zafar Alam Sarwar
March 23, 2015
Ordinary citizens used to feel strong and exhibit unity on every March 23 remembered as Pakistan Day. But, frankly speaking, they seem to have forgotten its significance. Is it because their memory has been hit by socio-economic problems as a result of what some people say ‘not so good governance’?
Until closed down in 1998, the Pakistan National Centres played a vital role as regards social and economic development of the country and its security, integrity and survival by promoting harmony and unity.
It’s now the city olds who, by way of heartening the socio-economically and politically saddened citizens, proudly say March 23 is a day of rejoicing because on this day in 1940 was passed a resolution which demanded an independent homeland for Muslims in South Asia. The resolution brought about a revolutionary change in the people’s outlook.
The government-people ties after the death of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and murder of Liaquat Ali Khan have not been smooth. Senior teachers, selfless poets and writers and professional journalists tell masses on Pakistan Day about the first observation of the Quaid in the Constituent Assembly.
The Quaid said: “The first duty of a government is to maintain law and order, so that the life, property and religious belief of its subjects are fully protected by the state; if we want to make this great state of Pakistan happy and prosperous we should wholly and solely concentrate on the well-being of the people, especially of the masses and the poor.” By the way, we’re lurching from one crisis to another today.
On March 23, 1940 was passed the Lahore Resolution, demanding the partition of India and formation of the Muslim majority zones of the north-west and north-east into an independent sovereign state.
Thus, ostensibly, the Muslim League accepted as its goal the chimerical scheme of students led by Ch. Rehmat Ali.
The great task both Ch Rahmat Ali and the Quaid-i-Azam had taken upon themselves couldn’t be accomplished in their life-time, hence the question: What to do on Pakistan Day? The answer is: Revisit the selfless student leader and the Pakistan National Movement (PNM) founded by him in 1933, and now kept alive by senior citizens. That will help regain the glory in socio-economic and other fields, and tide over problems of energy and food price hike, unemployment, poverty and illiteracy etc.
In this regard, recalling and achieving the basic objectives of the PNM is of utmost importance: getting rid of socio-economic and politico-cultural slavery; revival of independence; eradication of vicious class and caste system; end to exploitation of the poor masses by capitalism and feudalism; and promoting human rights on the basis of equality according to Islamic teachings.
So, on Pakistan Day every citizen is morally bound to unite for realisation of the vision of the Quaid-i-Azam and Ch. Rahmat Ali.
zasarwar@hotmail.com