Punjab Minister for Higher Education Begum Zakia Shahnawaz has said that Pakistan is making rapid progress despite difficulties and the whole nation should join hands to cope with country’s foes.
She was addressing a seminar organised by Punjab University and Pakistan National Forum in connection with Independence Day celebrations at Al Raazi Hall on Tuesday.
Former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Riaz Ahmad Sheikh, former Chief Justice LHC Justice Mian Mahboob Ahmad, Minister Minority Affairs Punjab Khalil Tahir Sindhu, former National Assembly speaker Syed Fakhar Imam, former Federal Minister S.M.Zafar, Lt Gen (r) Khawaja Rahat Latif, Prof Dr Khawaja Muhammad Zakria, Air Marshal (r) Khurshid Ahmad, Registrar Prof Dr Liaqat Ali, Adviser to VC Col (r) Ikramullah Khan, faculty members and a large number of students were present on the occasion.
Addressing the seminar, Zakia Shahnawaz said that young people are the future of Pakistan and the dreams of Pakistan’s prosperity would come true only when all the segments of the society would work collectively for the development of the country.
Khalil Tahir Sandhu stressed the need to minimise difference of opinion on national issues.
He said that minorities in the country always stood with Pakistan and would make efforts for dignity of the country.
Justice (R) Riaz A Sheikh said that Quaid-e-Azam believed in religious freedom.
He said that people of the region at the time of announcement of Pakistan’s independence started moving towards Pakistan.
Justice (R) Mian Mahboob Ahmed said that the rights being enjoyed by minorities in Pakistan had never been awarded by any secular country to her citizens in minority.
He said that we must follow the ideology of Quaid-e-Azam for country’s uplift.
SM Zafar said today’s Pakistan was not according to the ideology of Quaid-e-Azam because he took politics as a religious obligation while politics was being considered as business today.
However, he said, today’s Pakistan was stronger than 1947’s Pakistan and it was the time to create rays of hope among the youth of the country.
Syed Fakhar Imam said that said that Quaid-e-Azam wanted to establish justice in our society and provide equal opportunities to the minorities.
Khawaja Rahat Latif said that India did not want to resolve Kashmir issue. He said that all twenty points of National Action Plan (NAP) must be implemented to control terrorism.
Col (r) Ikramullah Khan said that we have failed to make Pakistan a welfare state as desired by Quaid-e-Azam. He said that we must strengthen ourselves internally to cope with the challenges being face by the country.
Later, PU Registrar Dr Liaqat Ali thanked the participants.