ISLAMABAD: The National Day of Pakistan was commemorated with patriotic zeal at the High Commission for Pakistan in New Delhi on Saturday.
In an impressive ceremony, the Charge d’ Affaires of Pakistan to India, Saad Ahmad Warraich hoisted the national flag at the Chancery lawn, according to a press release received here from New Delhi.
Messages of the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan were read on the occasion. Eulogizing the inspiring leadership of the Quaid-i-Azam, Saad Warraich stressed that the struggle for Pakistan’s independence was paved by the sacrifices of millions of people including women and children across the subcontinent.
The best homage to the memory of the martyrs was to redouble our collective efforts towards the prosperity and development of Pakistan according to the vision of our founding fathers.
Noting the tremendous strides made by Pakistan since independence, the Charge d’ Affaires underlined that Pakistan’s greatest strength was its resilient and enterprising people who had overcome every challenge through their indomitable spirit and characteristic grit and determination.
Endowed with rich natural resources and a geostrategic location as a bridge between the East, West and Central Asia, the Charge d’ Affaires added that Pakistan would continue to play its pivotal role as a centerpiece for trade, connectivity and regional integration.
Underscoring that Pakistan was born of a peaceful struggle postulated on the inalienable right of the Muslims of the subcontinent to determine their destiny as per their own choice, Saad Warraich said that peaceful coexistence based on equality and mutual respect serve as guiding principles of Pakistan’s foreign policy.
These principles also underpinned Pakistan’s desire for a peaceful relationship with India, he said. The quest for sustainable peace and stability in South Asia could only be achieved through a peaceful settlement of all issues including the core Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the Charge d’ Affaires stressed.
“Our desire for peace is reflective of the constructive and positive outlook of a strong and self-assured nation”, Saad Warraich concluded.