Rabbani presents Jinnah Awards to Souriya Anwar and Jimmy Engineer

The Jinnah Society conferred its prestigious Jinnah Awards on prominent artist and social worker Jimmy Engineer and SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan Founding President Souriya Anwar in recognition of their selfless services for the humanity at large, particularly for the special and orphaned children.

Former Senate chairman, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, who was the chief guest of the award ceremony, presented the Jinnah Award to both winners. He said he was honoured to hand over the Jinnah Awards to Souriya Anwar and Jimmy Engineer in recognition of their outstanding and dedicated services to Pakistan.

The Jinnah Society was established on April 23, 1997 in Karachi and has completed 20 years of existence in Pakistan. The main objective of the Society is to propagate the principles, ideals and vision of the Quaid-e-Azam as a nation-building exercise and in the development of democratic leadership in the role model of Mr. Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

Another activity of the Society is the conferring of Jinnah Awards to the people who have rendered outstanding and meritorious services to Pakistan and its people. On this occasion, Senator Rabbani appealed to the Sindh government to implement the orders of the Sindh High Court under which the Flagstaff House was to house a library, an audiovisual centre and a museum.

“None of these facilities, however, could be set up within the historic place, which later went to the provincial government under the 18th amendment to the Constitution.” He also said the Quaid wanted Pakistan to be a welfare state. He referred to the Quaid’s August 11, 1947 speech, saying: “It’s difficult to find it because it speaks of fundamental human rights, minority rights and what Pakistan must not be: a theocracy.”

But, he added, this is not what the state had envisaged Pakistan to be after Jinnah’s death. “That’s why the Flagstaff House remains without a museum, a library and an audiovisual centre, so people might not know the exact purpose for which Pakistan was made.”

Continuing on the same subject, he pointed out that the three fundamental principles of the Quaid — unity, faith and discipline — had been “rearranged” as faith, unity and discipline under a government notification dated January 11, 1955.

According to him, whenever the ruling elite of Pakistan talks about a change, it wants to shun two things — provincial autonomy and the parliamentary form of government — both of which, he believed, were dear to the Quaid’s heart.

Liaquat Merchant, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Founder President, The Jinnah Society, said: “The Jinnah Society seeks to propagate the principles, ideals and vision of the great man as a nation-building exercise even today, more than seven decades after Jinnah has passed away.”

He added: “We will continue to aspire to achieve the Pakistan envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, which is now a view shared by the political divide.” Ashraf Wathra, Founder Secretary General, The Jinnah Society, said in his welcome address: “The work of the Jinnah Society and the propagation of Jinnah’s vision for Pakistan will continue to shine as a beacon of light on this nation and will hopefully inspire our younger generation to serve this country with loyalty and dedication, which Pakistan expects from each and every citizen.”

On receiving the Jinnah Award, SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan Founding President Souriya Anwar said: “We must learn a lesson from the uncompromising morality of the Quaid-e-Azam if we are to ever achieve his dream of a society based on the principles of honour, integrity, equality and social justice.”

Souriya Anwar is a dedicated social worker with over four decades of service to humanitarian causes. Her interventions cover many social issues, in particular the welfare of orphans, the disabled, health, education, women’s uplift and the care of the aged.

She is recognised as an expert in the field of social welfare whose advice is regularly sought on related issues. Her major contribution to nation-building has been the establishment of the SOS Children’s Villages Pakistan in 1975.

Under her leadership this has expanded to 52 projects in all parts of the country and is recognised as the nation’s leading organisation in the field of child welfare. It is trusted and supported by the public and the government, and is completely self-financed. She has received numerous awards for her passionate espousal of the rights of the less advantaged.

Renowned artist and social worker Jimmy Engineer said: “I am a simple servant of Pakistan because all my life I have served my beloved country as an artist to portray the positive image of the country.”

He added: “I will continue to promote and project soft, positive, moderate and forward-looking image of Pakistan and its peace-loving people before the comity of nations through my art, delivering talks and interacting with people from all walks of life.”

A peace-loving man, Jimmy Engineer is widely known as Pakistan’s indefatigable crusader for the oppressed, disabled, mentally handicapped, impoverished and generally for all who need him, as he has the ability to communicate with people from all walks of life.

Though he already has over 3,000 paintings, more than 1,000 calligraphies and over 1,500 drawings to his name besides the 700,000 prints in private collection in more than 60 countries, selling his work is not why he paints.

Like his art, he simply aspires to spread his love for people wherever he goes and is ceaselessly pursuing the course of charity, as his heart is sold to humanity for the rest of his life. Ameena Saiyid, OBE, Sitara-e-Imtiaz, Secretary General, The Jinnah Society, said in her closing remarks: “The Quaid’s achievement was to have united an economically and geographically diverse and multicultural and multiethnic people into working towards the same goal for a considerable period of time.”