Islamabad (HRNW) Pakistanis are celebrating the country’s diamond jubilee as today (Sunday) marks its 75th Independence Day.
The day dawned with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in all provincial headquarters.
Later, during his address to the flag-hoisting ceremony attended by various dignitaries and civil and military leadership amongst others at the Jinnah Convention center, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to transform Pakistan into an economic power.
At the outset of his address, the premier, in particular, remembered the flood victims, making special mention of those from Balochistan. After offering a prayer for those that lost their lives and the speedy recovery of the injured, PM Shehbaz maintained an inspirational and optimistic tone.
He remembered the Pakistan Movement as a testament that “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”.
Saluting the country’s founding fathers, the PM praised their resolve to “smash pessimism” and credited their “historic struggle” as the reason for why “we are now breathing in an independence and sovereign country”.
Paying tribute to all those that sacrificed their lives for the country, PM Shehbaz said that the struggle for freedom came after “decades of foreign subjugation”.
“In the formation of our beloved country, not just Muslims but minorities also played their part,” noted the prime minister as he included them in his tribute as well.
He also paid tribute to civil society, writers and thinkers of the country.
Reflecting on Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s words, the premier said that Pakistan was created with the mission to place constitution, democracy and rule of law above all and said that “it is with the same commitment that we will continue to progress forward”.
“The creation of Pakistan”, he said, was a sacred trust and mission –the first phase of which was completed by the early struggle but the second still remains to reach completion, he added. “The mission is to give practical shape to those ideals which were reflected in March 23rd Resolution,” he maintained.
PM Shehbaz was of the view that a “national dialogue is the need of the hour, whereby consensus may be built on a charter of economy by all stakeholders. Like our founder, we have to commit to becoming an economic power.”