ISLAMABAD: Amid widespread flood devastation, the death anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah was observed with great respect and admiration on Sunday.

The president, prime minister and other political leaders paid tribute to the Father of the Nation, while several ceremonies and seminars were held to shed light on his struggle to achieve an independent nation for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

In his message, President Arif Alvi paid rich tribute to Quaid-i-Azam for his vision, unwavering commitment, untiring hard work, and charismatic leadership to win a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent.

“On this day, we also remember Quaid for his struggle, for giving us a country, and pledge to focus on his advice for infusing Unity, Faith and Discipline in our ranks and files.”

President, PM pay tribute to father of nation

While highlighting the devastation caused by the flood, President Alvi remarked that on this day, the nation expresses solidarity with flood victims and pledges to commit all the resources and efforts until their complete rehabilitation.

In his message, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the entire nation paid tribute to Quaid-i-Azam for his untiring struggle, sagacity and leadership qualities. In a series of tweets, he said that without the dynamic leadership of the Quaid, the dream of a sovereign state for the Muslims of India would not have come true.

Talking about the financial crisis and the natural calamity faced by the country, PM Sharif said there was a need for the nation to emulate the Quaid’s everlasting principles of Faith, Unity and Discipline to face the current challenges.

The prime minister remarked that by following these principles, the nation will not only overcome financial and post-flood challenges, but also help achieve the dream of a great nation envisaged by Quaid-i-Azam.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari also paid rich tribute to the Quaid, saying the best way to pay him homage was to stick to his principles. “It is crucial to continue the struggle to make Pakistan a state where democracy is strong, and the constitution and parliament are supreme,” he said in his message.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said it was the tenacity of one man that led Pakistan to freedom. “May Allah enable us to protect this freedom,” he said.

PTI leader Shireen Mazari tweeted: “Today is 74th death anniversary of our founder Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. Over the decades we have sadly moved further away from his vision for Pakistan.”

“It has been 74 years since Quaid-i-Azam’s death. Today, we should pledge to strive hard to achieve Quaid’s mission for sovereign and truly independent Pakistan,” said PTI’s Asad Umar in his message.

Published in Dawn, September 12th, 2022