Pakistan Day Celebrated in the US with Great Fervor

Pakistan Day celebrations in Washington, DC (above) and Los Angeles (below)

Washington, DC: An impressive ceremony was held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington DC to celebrate the Pakistan Day on March 23rd, 2009.
Chargé d’ Affairs, Muhammad Aslam Khan, hoisted the national flag. The proceedings began with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an and the national anthem was played on the occasion. A large number of Pakistani-Americans joined officials of the Embassy to celebrate the historic Day. Chargé d’ Affairs Muhammad Aslam Khan read out the Pakistan Day messages of the President, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani.
In his message, the President said, “When our founding fathers resolved to carve out an independent state, they had in mind a state where constitutionalism and rule of law reigned supreme.
“The restoration recently of the deposed Judges has raised the expectations of the people to witness an end to this cycle”, the President added.
The President urged the people to “let us all resolve that we shall endeavor to uphold the Constitution, rule of law and work for the emancipation of the people. I hope that towards this end in view all institutions of the state will work in harmony”.
In his message, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said, “While we celebrate this memorable achievement, we must also remember the unprecedented scarifies of our forefathers for a strong, progressive and forwarded looking independent Islamic welfare state, where they could build an enlightened, tolerant and moderate society that ensures social justice and equal opportunities to all its citizens, irrespective of their caste, creed, color and gender”.
The Prime Minister added, “Our democratically elected government is committed to strengthening the democratic order to achieve these objectives. We shall continue to fight the evil of extremism, sectarianism and terrorism that slow down our march towards achievement of these goals, with all the strength at our command and strive to make Pakistan rise in the comity of nations”.
The Chargé d’ Affairs also hosted a reception for the US dignitaries including Congressional Members and staff, local diplomatic corps, academia, media and the community of Pakistani-Americans.
AMBASSADOR HAQQANI’S MESSAGE: “It gives me great pleasure to extend my warmest greetings to the Pakistani community in the United States on the occasion of Pakistan Day 2009.
“Pakistan Day is not merely an annual ritual of commemorating the adoption of the historic Pakistan Resolution. This day reminds us of the extraordinary resolve and capabilities of our nation which, under the inspiring leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, succeeded in placing Pakistan on the map of the world, within a short period of seven years. It is noteworthy that Pakistan was achieved through a democratic, legal and constitutional struggle rather than violence and bloodshed.
During the past six decades, despite numerous internal and external challenges, Pakistan has achieved remarkable progress in diverse areas. I have no doubt in my mind that this resilient and dynamic nation is fully capable of overcoming all challenges confronting it.
“By Grace of Allah, Pakistan is now a fully functioning and vibrant democracy. We have achieved this goal after a long struggle. We must cherish it. We must all commit ourselves to ensuring that whatever differences we may have are resolved within the parameters of a parliamentary democratic system. In this lies our strength and our salvation as a modern, progressive and prosperous nation – the nation envisioned by our founding father Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
The Pakistani community in the United States has an important role to play in this regard. The Embassy lauds the efforts of the community to foster better and stronger Pakistan US relations and is committed to working with the community to achieve this objective.
“Pakistan Paindabad.”

LOS ANGELES FUNCTION: A similar function was held at the residence of Consul General Syed Ibne Abbas in Los Angeles. The affable Consul General read out the messages of the President and the Prime Minister and hoisted the national flag. Prominent members of the community attended the function. A feeling of close bondage between members of the community was all too evident.

 

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