Ceremony highlights role of good health in development of country

ISLAMABAD: An impressive ceremony titled ‘Independence and Our Health’ was held here to celebrate the 71st Independence Day of Pakistan, attended by scores of people, including kids, youth, men and women.

The basic objective of the event organised at the Ayub Park in Rawalpindi was to create an awareness among the people about good health, which is also vital to development and progress of a nation.

Addressing the participants, speakers stressed that good health is one of the blessings of Allah Almighty and that good health of individuals leads to a healthy society. They said that unfortunately a healthy and independent society could not be established in Pakistan despite 71 years of independence. “Today, our newborn, youth, men and women are suffering from various chronic diseases. Good bringing up of children is the individual duty of parents but a society is collectively benefitted during the fulfillment of this duty,” they said. “The process of development in an independent country is not possible without creating awareness about this duty on the national level,” they added.

The speakers said that Islam gives so much importance to cleanliness that it has been termed ‘half faith’. “The true application of this saying of our Holy Prophet (PBUH) is the basis of a healthy society. This saying of Holy Prophet (PBUH) makes following principles of healthcare obligatory for us,” they said. “If we start fulfilling our individual duties as good and law abiding citizens, the aim of establishing a healthy society can easily be achieved. And, through the establishment of an exemplary and healthy society, we can enjoy the fruits of independence in real meanings,” they added.

“Character building of an individual starts from the lap of his mother. Father also plays a key role in this regard. The contribution of teacher can never be ignored. All these characters collectively help mind building of a healthy individual,” they said, adding that pollution-free environment is equally important for good health. “For this, planting maximum number of saplings under the tree plantation campaigns is the need of the time,” they added.

The speakers said that besides its primary responsibilities of safeguarding the frontiers of the country and fighting out the menace of terrorism, the Pakistan Army has decided to plant 10 million saplings during the current monsoon season across country to help build a healthy society. On Monday, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa himself inaugurated the Pakistan Army’s nationwide tree plantation campaign – Sarsabz-o-Shadab Pakistan – at the Race Course Park in Rawalpindi, which is a testament of army’s seriousness on the issue.

The speakers said that it is high time for every individual in the country to plant at least one sapling every monsoon season as the country is in dire need of having more and more trees to avoid looming dangers of deforestation. “We should give our next generations a greener and healthy Pakistan … and we as a nation should leave no stone unturned to achieve this goal,” they added.