Renowned scholar and President Anjuman Taraqqi-e-Urdu Pakistan Aftab Ahmed Khan said Pakistan needs a sincere leadership.
Quaid-e-Azam passed away far too early and after the Quaid’s departure we started faltering which was manifested in the secession of the erstwhile Pakistan and the present divisive tendencies which are taking the nation away from the cardinal principle of national integrity.
However, there would be no need for despondency once we start following the Quaid’s ideals in right earnest.
He expressed these views while addressing a conference as chief guest held in Civic Center on Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of national integrity” by KMC.
Former Pakistan Ambassador Shahid Amin, Rafi-uddin Raz, Prof Dr Farhat Azeem, Ali Hassan Sajid and others also present on this occasion.
Arshad Sabri, welcomed the guests and compered the function.
A recording of a patriotic song was played with lyric penned by Arshad Sabri.
In his keynote address, former diplomat Shahid Amin said we had lost track of the Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of Pakistan and have strayed from the ideals he bequeathed us.
Hence today we see divisive tendencies, lack of justice, and all that the Quaid opposed. This is not the Pakistan the Quaid had visualised.
He said Quaid founded the country on the ideal of Islamic brotherhood but today this brotherhood was glaringly lacking.
This, he said, was most glaringly reflected in the mayhem and the spilling of Muslims’ blood by the Muslims.
He said the Quaid had dreamt of a land where justice would reign supreme but today justice in our system was a far cry.
He said: “we ought to be ashamed of ourselves for the rough deal we have given our minorities and in this context quoted the Quaid’s speech to the legislative assembly on August 11, 1947, wherein the Father of the Nation had expressly stated that the minorities would be equal citizens of Pakistan and that followers of all religions were free to go their places of worship.
He said despite the sense of despondency prevailing in the country today, “we must acknowledge that our people are very resourceful and all that was needed to be done was to harness this resourcefulness in a constructive manner.
Prof Dr Farhat Azeem threw light on the Quaid’s towering personality and said that there was dire need to infuse enthusiasm about the Quaid’s vision and his ideals among the young generation.
She said that the Quaid and the Pakistan movement were synonymous.
Director, Media Management, KMC Ali Hassan Sajid said each year the month of December brought lot of pains to us as in this month Pakistan had split and if people did not give up these divisive trends, there could be a repetition of December 16, 1971.
Zakia Yousfi, in her very melodious and mellifluous voice, presented two patriotic songs, Ai Quaid-e-Azam Tera Ehsan, and “Jug Jug Jeevey.
Farhat Hashmi recited from the holy Quran, and Zakia Yousfi presented a Naat. Rafiuddin Raz recited his poem on the Quaid.
