Nation celebrates Quaid-i-Azam’s birth anniversary today

ISLAMABAD/KARACHI/ LAHORE/PESHAWAR: The nation is celebrating the birth anniversary of its founder Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah today (Wednesday) with traditional zeal and respect and renewed commitment to work hard for the progress and prosperity of the country.

Mohammad Ali Jinnah was born on December 25, 1876 in Karachi. A lawyer and politician by profession he served as the leader of All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan’s independence on August 14, 1947.

Following Pakistan’s independence Jinnah held the position of the nation’s first governor general until his death on September 11, 1948. The day will dawn with special prayers in the mosques for the peace, progress and prosperity of the country. A change of guards’ ceremony will also be held at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam in Karachi. A smartly turned out contingent of Pakistan Military Academy Kakul will assume the guard duty from Pakistan Air Force.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah will also visit the mausoleum to pay homage to the great leader of the sub-continent. The national flag will be hoisted on the principal government buildings across the country. Special events have been arranged on the day to highlight and promote Jinnah’s ideas and views particularly with regard to rule of law supremacy of the constitution and upholding of democracy.

Different activities will be held in schools and colleges and public and private departments while social and literary organisations will arrange special programmes to shed light on Quaid-i-Azam’s life-long political struggle and his guiding principles of unity, faith and discipline.

In his message for the day, President Dr Arif Alvi has said that the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a visionary man, who had envisaged a separate identity, needs and political direction of the Muslims of the sub-continent. “The acumen of his foresight and vision can be witnessed even today with the prevailing conditions in India and the Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir,” he said in his message on the Quaid-i-Azam Day, being celebrated today. "Today marks as a special day in the history of our homeland," the president said.

"On this day, we had witnessed the birth of a great leader, a leader who changed the geography of this continent and gave us our motherland, our very own Pakistan.” President Alvi said Pakistanis were a resilient nation and by the grace of Almighty Allah it had embarked upon the path to progress and development as envisaged by the Father of the Nation. He said by paying homage to the great leader today, the nation should stand united and reaffirm its faith in the teachings of Quaid-i-Azam. "Let’s make ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’ the bedrock for future growth and progress of the motherland. May Allah be with us and Pakistan Zindabad,” he added.

While, Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the best way to pay homage to the Father of Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah on his birth anniversary was to adhere to his principles of ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’ which were a beacon of light for making Naya Pakistan - the truly Quaid’s Pakistan.

The prime minister, in a message on the birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam being celebrated today, said they were indebted to the great Quaid for enabling the nation to live freely and preserve its social, cultural and religious identity. “We still have a long way to go to fully realise the ideals of our founding father and fulfil the purpose for which our forefathers rendered innumerable sacrifices. We can achieve all these objectives while rededicating ourselves to the guiding principles given by the Father of the Nation,” he said. The prime minister said the entire nation was observing the birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah with due reverence. The Quaid personified impeccable integrity, exemplary character, selflessness and devotion to the cause of an independent homeland for the Muslims, he added. He said the Quaid’s charisma inspired the Muslims of South Asia during the distressful times and circumstances. The Quaid-i-Azam was amongst the great and visionary leaders of the 20th Century and had inspired millions across the world. “The decisive Freedom Movement spearheaded by the Quaid was a manifestation of his political insight and sagacity, as well as his firm commitment to the ideals of democracy and rule of law till his last breath,” he added.

Imran said, on the day, "we must not forget the oppressed people of Indian Occupied Jammu and Kashmir facing the worst human rights violations at the hands of the fascist RSS-inspired BJP government. “The Quaid-e-Azam had called Kashmir the ‘jugular vein’ of Pakistan, and on this day we reaffirm our commitment that the entire Pakistani nation stands united, solid as a rock, behind their Kashmiri brethren,” he resolved. The prime minister said the entire world was witnessing the perversion of the so-called secular outlook of the Indian constitution today, with discrimination and brutal actions against different minorities especially Muslims, including the passage of Citizenship Amendment Act-2019 and its aftermath. “Indeed, these developments have, again, vindicated the conviction of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that the extremist Hindus of India will never allow the Muslim minority to live with respect and dignity,” he added.