74th Independence Day of Pakistan observed, HC congratulates diaspora

74th Independence Day of Pakistan observed, HC congratulates diaspora
74th Independence Day of Pakistan observed, HC congratulates diaspora

LONDON, Aug 14 (APP): The 74th Independence Day of Pakistan here on Friday was marked by Flag  Hoisting ceremony at the Pakistan High Commission.

This year in view of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic situation and the UK government’s guidelines, the National Flag was hoisted in a simple ceremony live streamed on the Mission’s  Official Facebook for virtual, not physical,participation of the  Pakistani community keeping in view their sentimental attachment to the Independence Day.

The Facebook broadcast was viewed by thousands of community
members. Pakistan High Commissioner (HC) to the United Kingdom (UK) Mohammad  Nafees Zakaria un-furled Pakistani flag in the premises of the High Commission in the presence of a limited staff of the commission.

The messages of the President Dr.Arif Alvi and the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan were also read out on the occasion. In his address to the community, the HC felicitated Pakistanis on the Independence Day and prayed for the  peace, prosperity and progress of the country.

He said the community’s participation in great numbers always made us
proud and we felt strengthened. On this occasion, the high commissioner paid tributes to the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah , and National poet and  dreamer of Pakistan Dr. Allama Mohammad Iqbal and other
heroes of Pakistan Movement, who, through their unwavering resolve
and visionary leadership created an independent state for the Muslims
of the sub-continent.

He said “Today, we pay tributes to all those who rendered countless
sacrifices, not only with their lives, but they also lost their families
and belongings for a homeland where they and their future generations could  live with freedom, dignity and equality”.

Zakaria said “Our elders achieved, nurtured and developed the
newly born state of Pakistan with complete devotion. It is now our
responsibility to ensure continued protection, growth and prosperity
of our beloved Pakistan,”.

He also paid homage to armed forces and law enforcement personnel
for rendering ultimate sacrifices in defending their motherland.
“Pakistan is a strong country today with impenetrable defence”, he
added.

Giving an overview of the economy, the HC shared that due to prudent economic policies and reforms initiated by the  government, Pakistan had attained economic stability and was on the  road to development and prosperity.

Nafees Zakaria said that the incumbent government was determined
in realizing the true potential of Pakistan in all fields.

“In the region, Pakistan’s economic prospects are manifested in the
reports of the World Bank, JP Morgan, Moody’s Bloomberg and other monitoring entities highlighting Pakistan as an attractive destination for investment, business and tourism,” Zakaria further remarked.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic had taken a heavy toll on human lives and the economy of the world, however, due to pre-emptive  response and effective policy, the government of Pakistan had managed  to keep the loss of lives and economy to a minimum level.

“Pakistan is presented as a role model in the fight against the
pandemic in the region where the situation is still worrisome”, he said.
He added that the High Commission did its best to facilitate the stranded Pakistanis in the UK and repatriated over 4000 compatriots to
Pakistan in an efficient manner. He also paid tributes to the Pakistani medics who saved lives  during the pandemic; several of them lost their lives.

Zakaria said the British Pakistani philanthropists and volunteers made Pakistan proud by working tirelessly to help the  vulnerable segments of the society. Speaking about bilateral relations, the high commissioner
said the ties between Pakistan and the United Kingdom were rooted
in shared history and had grown from strength to strength over
decades.

He commended the Pakistani diaspora for their vital role in the progress and development of the UK and Pakistan and for bringing the two countries closer.

He also urged the diaspora and British investors to take advantage of the investment opportunities in Pakistan, particularly the opportunities arising from China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Updating the community on the Kashmir situation, the high  commissioner paid tributes to the sacrifices of Kashmiris in Indian Illegally  Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and commended their resolve for their right  to self-determination in the face of worst oppression by Indian  occupation forces.

Zakaria said that in contravention of the UN Charter, UN Security Council’s Resolutions, International laws and conventions, India had been committing heinous crimes against defenceless Kashmiris.

He stated that it had been over a year that over 8 million Kashmiris in
IIOJK remained under Indian military siege and inhumane communication blockade since August 5, 2019.

Zakaria said innocent and helpless people of IIOJK under Indian occupation had been subjected for seven decades to genocide, massacres, mass rapes and mass blinding, which were well documented by the UN and other credible international organisations.

The ultimate objective of India,he said was to bring about demographic change in IIOJK through killings, enforced disappearances and enforced expulsions—an act which was in clear violation of Geneva Convention.

He called upon the international community to play its role in ending human rights violations in IIOJK and bring perpetrators of crimes against humanity to justice.

Zakaria deeply appreciated the strong reaction from the British Parliamentarians against grave human rights violations in IIOJK and their continued support to the oppressed Kashmiris.

However, he called upon the UK government to play its due role to end human sufferings in the occupied valley.

He reiterated Pakistan’s unflinching political, diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiris.

The ceremony concluded with the playing of popular national songs, showing some beautiful short documentaries on Pakistan and cake cutting by the high commissioner.

Similar events were held at other four Consulates of Pakistan in Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow and Manchester.

APP Services