Nation celebrates Pakistan Day with pledge to fight corona

ISLAMABAD: The nation celebrated the Pakistan Day on Monday with simplicity in the face of outbreak of coronavirus and with the pledge to fight the pandemic.

All kind of public gatherings, especially famous military parade, were postponed as a precautionary measure. The Day is observed to commemorate the passage of Lahore Resolution on this day in 1940 under which the Muslims of the subcontinent set the agenda of achieving a separate homeland.

President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan in their separate messages on Pakistan Day urged the countrymen to show utmost unity, discipline and passion to fight the pandemic that has engulfed the world.

In his message, the president said nations had to go through difficult times but only with unity they sail through. “We Pakistanis also need to stand united to fight this pandemic. It is responsibility of all segments of society, including the Ulema, the media and political leaders, to play their due role in educating the masses about the preventive measures against the virus. He said doctors and health workers were the first line of defense in this crisis and the nation saluted them for their unrelenting and selfless endeavors.

In his message, the prime minister requested people to take precautions without getting panicked, as he was personally monitoring the government’s measures against the coronavirus pandemic. He said the nation had the capability to face any ordeal and God willing ‘we will stand victorious in this test.’

The president and the prime minister also paid homage to the founding leaders of Pakistan and expressed unshakable support to the people of occupied Kashmir who have been subjected to inhuman lockdown and communication blockade for over seven months.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi stated that the Pakistan Day provides the country with an opportunity to reflect on our journey as a nation state and contemplate about the future .

“The coronavirus pandemic is testing the resolve and resilience of nations across the globe the foreign minister said. To be able to successfully defeat this common enemy we need to marshal the same innate virtues. We need to acknowledge and appreciate the tremendous sacrifices and contributions that our health care personnel and others [...] our soldiers in the forefront of this war are making to keep us all safe,” he said.

Qureshi added that the nation must also not forget about their Kashmiris brothers and sisters in occupied Kashmir. With an iron will and with all the political diplomatic and moral force at its command Pakistan will continue to stand by its Kashmiri brethren till the dawn of self-determination.

Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif said the nation must emerge as one in order to defeat the coronavirus. In a tweet, he said as the nation celebrates Pakistan Day today and pays its homage to the founding fathers, there can be no greater relevance of the message of the Day than it is today. “We must emerge as one nation 2 defeat COVID 19. High time we revived the spirit that marked our freedom struggle.”

Meanwhile, Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah urged citizens to show national unity by staying at home and staying safe as the province observes a lockdown for the next 15 days.

“This Pakistan Day let’s show our national unity by staying apart. Stay home and stay safe. And your nation will thank you for it. Happy Pakistan Day to all Pakistanis. May Allah make this time easier on us all. Pakistan Zindabad!”

Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Ahmed Khan Buzdar urged the people of Pakistan to demonstrate unity by self-quarantining and staying at home. On this Pakistan Resolution Day, let us resolve to show our unity in a unique way [... ] Let us stay home and protect ourselves our loved ones and the nation.

The chief minister added that showing unity in the wake of the global pandemic was essential for combating the virus. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Planning Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said that fighting and overcoming difficulties had been a part of the people’s lives ever since Muslims had announced their plans for a separate nation on this day 80 years ago. We will win the fight against this disease just as we emerged successful all those years ago, he said.