Pakistan celebrates diamond jubilee with diligence, fervency
The nation is celebrating today (Sunday) the diamond jubilee of its independence with the traditional zeal and fervor throughout Pakistan.
The day began with a 31-gun salute in the capital city and a 21-gun salute in the headquarters of the provinces.
Special prayers were offered in the early morning in mosques for the peace, solidarity, and prosperity of the country. The principal feature of the celebrations every year is the national flag-raising ceremony in Islamabad. Similar flag-raising ceremonies also take place in provinces, divisions, and districts across the country.
President Arif Alvi called on the nation to stand firm and work unreservedly for the country’s development, progress, and prosperity.
”We need to stay together to overcome the financial, economic, and security challenges facing the country. Let us commit ourselves to steadfastness in sacrifice for the dignity and respect of our people and the greatness and glory of our beloved country,” the president said in a message on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the independence of Pakistan being observed on 14 August (today).
While celebrating the Day, he underscored that they should not forget their oppressed brothers and sisters of illegally occupied Indian Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).
In the meantime, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in his Independence Day message, said there is nothing more dangerous to a nation than internal division, disruption, and chaos for such negative forces undermine the solidarity and integrity of the country and deprive societies of their national aim.
He said that Independence Day is a defining moment in the history of our country.
Former President Asif Ali Zardari said that the supremacy of the elected people’s parliament is vital for a free, independent, and dignified Pakistan. “Now is the time to make lasting decisions for the country and the nation through the full implementation of the Charter of Democracy.”
In the meantime, PML-Q President and former prime minister Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain said that today the whole nation enthusiastically celebrates Independence Day. However, we must never forget that today Pakistan is facing internal, external, ideological, and geographical challenges.