Independence Day is a watershed moment in our nation\u2019s history, PM Shehbaz Sharif says on August 14
\n ISLAMABAD
\nPrime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday stressed for holding of a national dialogue and developing a consensus on charter of economy by all the stakeholders to transform Pakistan into an economic power.
\nAddressing a national flag-hoisting and unveiling of re-recording ceremony of the national anthem here at the Jinnah Convention center, the prime minister said that like their forefathers, on this 75th Independence Day, they vowed to transform Pakistan into an economic power. \u201cIf we can become a nuclear power, we can also become an economic power but for it we have to strive day and night and prove to the world that we are no less than anyone in the world,\u201d the prime minister added.
\nThe ceremony was attended by federal ministers, parliamentarians, senior military and law enforcement agencies leadership and people belonging to all walks of live.
\n\u201cPakistan Movement is a lesson for everyone which tells 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,\u201d the prime minister added.
\nThe prime minister recalled that when Allama Iqbal dreamt about a separate motherland, a sense of pessimism was created that it was not feasible.
\n\u201cWe salute the founding fathers of Pakistan who had smashed such sense of pessimism and due to their historic struggle, they are now breathing in an independent and sovereign country,\u201d he added.
\nThe prime minister said for decades, the Muslims in the sub-continent faced the foreign subjugation, they laid down their lives, gave immense sacrifices and made a historic migration and lost their near and dear ones in that perilous journey to achieve a separate country.
\nThey handed over an ideological country, he said and paid tribute to all those that lost their lives in the Independence Movement.
\nHe said creation of Pakistan was a sacred trust and mission, the first phase of which was completed, but its second phase was still incomplete. \u201cThe mission is to give practical shape to those ideals which were reflected in March 23rd Resolution,\u201d he added.
\nHe said that on its independence, Pakistan was deprived of its due shares, but despite all those odds it made excellent progress in different fields as being the 7th in the world and 1st nuclear power of Islamic world.
\nLate Zulfikar Ali Bhutto started the nuclear programme and former prime minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif realized it, he maintained. The prime minister said Pakistan had been playing a key role in the UN peacekeeping missions, its players had raised the national flag in different games.
\n\u201cIt is a fact that we have made progress in different arenas, but the speed which with we have to achieve that mission, there were shortfalls which should be overcome,\u201d he stressed. He also underlined the need for retrospection and reflection on the past history of the country.
\nThe prime minister resolved that for making Pakistan an ideal nation-state as dreamt about by the founding fathers, they would be ready to shed the last drop their blood, foil enemies\u2019 designs with the support of the brave armed forces and harness the true potential of youth to lead the future way.
\nThe prime minister said that they were thankful to Allah Almighty for observing the 75th anniversary celebrations and lauded the contributions made by the Pakistani expatriates and their valuable part in the development and prosperity of the country. He also prayed for the liberation of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and Occupied Palestine from the illegal foreign occupation.
\nThe prime minister expressing his deep grief and sorrow over the recent losses in the flash floods, said the recent rainfalls caused destruction and huge losses in different parts of the country, especially in Balochistan as hundreds had lost their lives and children were left orphans. He prayed for the early recovery of the injured.
\nThe prime minister said on this day, they also acknowledged the contributions of civil society members like late Abdul Sattar Edhi and Dr Ruth Pfau.
\nThe prime minister also highlighted the minorities\u2019 role in Pakistan Movement and appreciated their sacrifices. He said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had stressed on the religious freedom in the newly created Pakistan as there would be rule of law, constitution and democracy.
\nHe said the government accorded high priority to realize the true potential of the country\u2019s youth and expressed the optimism that youth would steer the future course of country\u2019s progress and prosperity by following Quaid\u2019s principles of unity and discipline.
\nHe urged them to transform Pakistan into an ideal state and economic power hub and accomplish the mission of its forefathers by discarding the begging bowl. =DNA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Independence Day is a watershed moment in our nation\u2019s history, PM Shehbaz Sharif says on August 14 ISLAMABAD Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on Sunday stressed for holding of a national dialogue and developing a consensus on charter of economy by all the stakeholders to transform Pakistan into an economic power. Addressing a national flag-hoisting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":277206,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[10100,9297,20,5822],"class_list":{"0":"post-277191","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-economic-power","9":"tag-independence-day","10":"tag-pakistan","11":"tag-pm-shehbaz-sharif"},"yoast_head":"\n