A number of Pakistani-American community members and activists participated in a virtual celebration organized on Tuesday evening by the Pakistan Consulate General in New York to celebrate the 81st anniversary of Lahore resolution that led to the establishment of Pakistan.
In brief remarks, Consul General Ayesha Ali welcomed his compatriots gathered online and congratulated them on the auspicious occasion, saying Pakistan was on the road to progress despite many challenges. She paid glowing tributes to Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and the sacrifices made by the Muslims of the sub-continent for the creation of Pakistan. The government, the consul general said, was making every effort to realize the Quaid’s vision of a modern, democratic and prosperous Pakistan.
She expressed the hope that the people of Jammu and Kashmir would also be able to soon enjoy their fundamental right to self-determination, as promised to them by UN Security Council resolutions. Ayesha Ali also briefed the community members of the initiatives taken by the government to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis, saying more measures were on the anvil.
She thanked Pakistani activists for the services they provided to the needy during the coronavirus pandemic. Their humanitarian work, she said, was crucial in the crisis that adversely affected many community members. Ambassador Shaukat Fareed, a former Pakistani diplomat and an ex-senior UN official, congratulated his compatriots on the occasion of Pakistan Day and urged them to stand together.
Fareed led the tributes to Consul General Ayesha Ali for her hard work in streamlining the services at the consulate for the benefit of community members and in reaching out to them during the pandemic, a compliment which was shared by all participants. Shahid Ahmed Khan, a Pakistani-American activist in Massachusetts and honourary Consul General, said he expected US-Pakistan relations to improve under the Biden administration.
Among others who spoke on the occasion were Sajjad Ashraf, a former Pakistani ambassador, Perwaiz Siddiqui from APPNA, and Capt. Adeel Rana from New York Police Department as well as activists like Akbar Khan, Zaheer Sharaf, Nasir Qureshi, Amjad Nawaz, Jan Mohammad, Raza Razzaq, Siraj Khan, Ms Attiya, Imtiaz, Babar Riaz, Rafiq Chaudhry, Sarwar and Youth leader Ali Rashid. Barry Hoffman, honorary Pakistani Consul General in Boston, also participated.
The meeting began with recitation from Holy Quran followed by the National Anthem. It was rounded off with the popular patriotic songs.
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