Let’s realise Quaid’s dream, says Abbasi
ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has said the Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah envisioned Pakistan as a modern democratic entity and the Pakistan Muslim League-N government has made the realisation of Quaid’s dream its abiding mission.
He said the independence that the nation achieved 70 years ago was an outcome of unparalleled sacrifices made by our ancestors.
“Today we are treading the path of prosperity and progress in a peaceful and dignified country because of those sacrifices. We are greatly indebted to our ancestors for their sacrifices,” the prime minister said in a message on 70th Independence Day.
He said: “We may belong to different tribes, fraternities and ethnicities; we may be working in different spheres of national life; our political vision and thinking can be different and our economic vision may have different perspectives but ascendancy of national interests and invincible defence are common objectives of the entire nation, for which we have to make collective endeavours.”
Abbasi said the recent transition of power through a democratic process was quintessential of the accelerated strengthening of democratic values in the country.
“We have to strengthen and reinforce the state institutions so that they can play their prescribed role within the limits of law and the constitution,” he added.
The prime minister said only a strong economy could ensure strong defence. A moderate society guaranteed stability of the state where people enjoyed all fundamental rights and national resources were equitably and judicious distributed.
Abbasi said that Pakistan desired positive and constructive relations with all countries of the world, especially with its neighbours on the basis of sovereign equality.
The people of South Asia have suffered enormously in the last 50 years due to the festering conflicts. Until and unless those conflicts were resolved amicably the people of the region could not achieve prosperity and progress, he added.
The prime minister said the government invariably made efforts to initiate the process of meaningful dialogue and adoption of peaceful means to resolve the issues, but unfortunately the expansionist designs of India remained main hurdle in this regard.
He said it was incumbent upon the international community to play its role in the resolution of conflicts, particularly the Kashmir dispute in conformity with the UN Resolutions with a view to ensuring durable peace in the region.
The prime minister said terrorism was the biggest challenge confronting the world today. Pakistan has rendered unparalleled sacrifices in the fight against this menace as well as for the world peace.
“Our armed forces, law enforcement agencies and people have written imperishable stories of sacrifices in this regard,” he said.