ISLAMABAD: Pakistan High Commission in India on Wednesday celebrated the 76th anniversary of Day with national zeal.
The commission held an impressive flag hoisting ceremony on the lush green lawns of the Mission to mark the day, said a press release received here from New Delhi, India.
Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Abdul Basit said that Pakistan’s creation was not less than a miracle.
“Within seven years of the Lahore Resolution in 1940, Pakistan, under the sagacious leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, became a reality. Now it is our collective duty to make Pakistan the country as was envisaged by the Quaid,” he said.
The HC said that all Pakistanis should take great pride in their country as despite heavy odds and several challenges Pakistan had been moving forward and making significant progress in many areas.
He added that Pakistan was destined to become a strong country and that the march in that direction had already begun.
Commenting on Pakistan-India ties, he said Pakistan wanted to have a normal relationship with India on the basis of mutual respect and mutual interest. This was necessary not only for promoting bilateral cooperative relations but also regional integration, he said.
“It is also necessary to resolve all our problems, especially the Jammu and Kashmir dispute so as to put our relations on the irreversible trajectory of peace and prosperity,” he said.
Abdul Basit said ‘cooperative relations’ were also needed to address many common challenges, including climate change and poverty.
Earlier, Deputy High Commissioner Ubaid-Ur-Rehman Nizamani read out messages from the President and the Prime Minister. Students of the Pakistan High Commission School sang the national anthem and patriotic songs, and presented a tableau highlighting the struggle made for creation of Pakistan.
Summiya Basit, wife of the High Commissioner, distributed gifts among the students at end of the ceremony. The High Commission also arranged a reception for over 1,000 Indian guests from all walks of life, members of the diplomatic corps in New Delhi besides Pakistan Women’s cricket team.
