Shehbaz Sharif stresses for holding of a national dialogue
National Security Committee resolves to take legal action on May 9 incidents -file foto
ISLAMABAD, Aug 14, 2022- Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday stressed for holding of a national dialogue and developing a consensus on charter of economy by all the stakeholders to transform Pakistan into an economic power.
‘We need to remain united’ President Alvi
President Dr Arif Alvi urged the nation to remain steadfast and work wholeheartedly for the development and progress and prosperity of the country.
Prime minister said, “We need to remain united to overcome financial, economic and security challenges faced by the country. Let us pledge that we will remain steadfast to render any sacrifice for the dignity and self-respect of our people and greatness and glory of our beloved homeland,” the president said in a message on the 75th anniversary of Independence of Pakistan being observed on August 14.
“Pakistan Movement is a lesson for everyone which tells when a nation devised the course of its path, the mountain-like hurdles and seas like distances could not hamper them from achieving their goal,” the prime minister added.
The prime minister recalled that when Allama Iqbal dreamt about a separate motherland, a sense of pessimism was created that it was not feasible.
“We salute the founding fathers of Pakistan who had smashed such sense of pessimism and due to their historic struggle, they are now breathing in an independent and sovereign country,” he added.
The prime minister said for decades, the Muslims in the sub-continent faced the foreign subjugation, they laid down their lives, gave immense sacrifices and made a historic migration and lost their near and dear ones in that perilous journey to achieve a separate country.
They handed over an ideological country, he said and paid tribute to all those that lost their lives in the Independence Movement.
He said creation of Pakistan was a sacred trust and mission, the first phase of which was completed, but its second phase was still incomplete. “The mission is to give practical shape to those ideals which were reflected in March 23rd Resolution,” he added.
He said that on its independence, Pakistan was deprived of its due shares, but despite all those odds it made excellent progress in different fields as being the 7th in the world and 1st nuclear power of Islamic world.
Late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started the nuclear programme and former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif realized it, he maintained.
The prime minister said Pakistan had been playing a key role in the UN peacekeeping missions, its players had raised the national flag in different games.
“It is a fact that we have made progress in different arenas, but the speed which with we have to achieve that mission, there were shortfalls which should be overcome,” he stressed.
He also underlined the need for retrospection and reflection on the past history of the country.
The prime minister resolved that for making Pakistan an ideal nation-state as dreamt about by the founding fathers, they would be ready to shed the last drop their blood, foil enemies’ designs with the support of the brave armed forces and harness the true potential of youth to lead the future way.
The prime minister expressing his deep grief and sorrow over the recent losses in the flash floods, said the recent rainfalls caused destruction and huge losses in different parts of the country, especially in Balochistan as hundreds had lost their lives and children were left orphans. He prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
The prime minister said on this day, they also acknowledged the contributions of civil society members like late Abdul Sattar Edhi and Dr Ruth Pfau.
The prime minister also highlighted the minorities’ role in Pakistan Movement and appreciated their sacrifices.
He said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had stressed on the religious freedom in the newly created Pakistan as there would be rule of law, constitution and democracy.
Awards conferred
On the occasion, Dr President Arif Alvi also conferred civil awards on 253 Pakistani citizens and foreign nationals. The citizens were bestowed with awards for showing excellence and courage in different fields, Radio Pakistan reported.
The president also conferred military awards on the officers and soldiers of the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force.
The President gave two Sitara-i-Basalat, 68 Tamgha-i-Basalat, 33 Imtiazi Asnad, 68 COAS Commendation Cards, 22 Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), 102 Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military) and 130 Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military).
