KARACHI: Maintaining that the future of Pakistan lies in democracy, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has urged the people of the province to ensure their participation in the general elections later this year to elect their true representatives.

“We ought to strengthen democracy and democratic institutions in the country which is also the demand of Pakistan Day,” he added.

The chief minister said this while talking to the media after paying his respects at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah along with his cabinet on Friday, Pakistan Day.

In reply to a question, he said the revival of the five-party religious alliance, the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, was a good omen.

“At the time of the general elections such alliances of likeminded parties are formed which is a democratic right,” he said

Governor Muhammad Zubair confers Pakistan Civil Awards on 19 individuals

Recalling the spirit of March 23, 1940 when the Pakistan Resolution was passed, he said that spirit was unprecedented and now time had come again to demonstrate a similar spirit and unity to steer the country out of different challenges.

The CM said the resolution set a direction for creation of Pakistan and ultimately the goal was achieved through an organised struggle led by Quaid-i-Azam.

Replying to another question, he said that the Pakistan Peoples Party had served the people of the province.

“We have reconstructed road infrastructure in Karachi and all over Sindh, the Sindh government has the honour to construct bridges on the Indus,” he said. “The Sindh government has taken concrete measures for poverty reduction in the province and now [we] are going to generate electricity from Thar coal by 2019.”

He said people of Sindh knew who had served them better and “I am sure they would be a better judge”, he said.

Mayor visits Quaid’s mausoleum

Various programmes were held in the city to celebrate Pakistan Day on Friday.

People from different walks of life, including elected representatives, civil society members, civil and military officials and common people visited the Mazar-i-Quaid to pay homage to the Father of the Nation.

Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar, along with councillors and municipal officials, also visited the Quaid’s mausoleum in the morning to offer fateha and lay a wreath on the grave of Quaid-i-Azam.

Talking to newsmen, he said March 23, 1940 was a very important day in the history of Pakistan as it was the beginning of the Independence Movement.

Referring to the civic issues, the mayor said that the Sindh government had now started to give funds to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation and the city conditions were beginning to improve; soon the citizens would witness a qualitative change.

He, however, added that the garbage disposal situation had not shown an improvement as the organisation responsible — the Sindh Solid Waste Management Board — had not yet been able to completely clear the metropolis of garbage.

He said that the KMC staffers were working on their designated roads which looked relatively cleaner.

He said it was good that the PSL final was being played in the metropolis on March 25.

Seminar at KU

Highlighting the great sacrifices rendered for Pakistan, speakers at a seminar — Nojawano ka Pakistan — held on Friday at Karachi University said that people must not forget the price paid in blood for an independent country and learn to value the freedom they enjoy by being productive in society.

“We must value our freedom and the sacrifices made at the time of independence. Our ancestors sacrificed their future for our present,” KU Vice Chancellor Prof Muhammad Ajmal Khan said.

Governor confers civil awards on 19

Sindh Governor Muhammad Zubair decorated 19 individuals with Pakistan Civil Awards on behalf of the president at a ceremony held at Governor House on Friday.

The governor conferred honour on the recipients on the occasion of Pakistan Day for their outstanding performance in their respective fields.

Among the awards were late Amjad Sabri for his services in the field of Qawwali; late Junaid Jamshed in the field of Naat recitation; Ameena Saiyid; Mohammad Hanif; Shakil Adilzada;

Dr Rauf Parekh and late Syed Ahmed Shah Bukhari in the field of literature;

Dr Seemin Jamali, Prof Tariq Mahmood, Dr Raheem Bux Bhatti and Dr Nuzhat Faruqui in the field of medicine; Younus Khan and Sarfaraz Ahmed in the field of sports; Syed Murtaza Dadhhi for poetry; Aban Marker Kabraji for environmental sciences; Taj Multani and Shafi Mohammad for their services in the fields of singing and folk music and Khalid Anum and Qaiser Khan Nizamani for art/acting.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2018