ISLAMABAD: President Dr Arif Alvi urged children to contribute to the country by achieving high standards in education and adopting the Quaid-e-Azam’s principles of unity, faith, and discipline. In an event titled ‘Quaid and Children’, the president said adhering to the golden values of the founder of Pakistan would make the country prosper in the comity of nations.
The colourful ceremony held here at the Presidency to celebrate the birth anniversary of the Quaid-e-Azam was attended by First Lady Samina Alvi, ministers, parliamentarians, and a large number of school children including the differently-abled ones. President Alvi recalled that during the Pakistan Movement, children were also among the population who loved their Quaid and steadfastly stood with him in his struggle for a separate homeland. He read out a few passionate letters written by children to the Quaid-e-Azam where they penned their support to him besides sending him the money collected after savings.
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The president said Quaid-e-Azam was a strong believer in mainstreaming women and other marginalized segments of society to ensure economic prosperity. He emphasized providing equal opportunities to women and differently-abled people in the fields of education and employment. He said the Quaid-e-Azam created this country with utmost dedication and commitment and stressed that it was the responsibility of every citizen to play a part in its development. President Alvi mentioned that the people in Kashmir were suffering at the hands of Indian occupation forces while the religious minorities faced continued persecution. “The current situation in India reinforces the significance of the Two-Nation theory that necessitated the creation of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Indian sub-continent,” he said. He said Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a great leader whose struggle led to bringing a change in the world. “This homeland was created after the sacrifices of thousands of people and it needs to be strengthened with hard work and commitment,” he said. President Alvi and Samina Alvi cut the cake to celebrate the birthday of the Quaid-e-Azam among children. The children clad in traditional dresses danced to the tunes of folk songs depicting the rich culture of the four provinces and Kashmir. A group of differently-abled children including the visually-impaired presented a tableau on the song ‘Dil Dil Pakistan’, which was highly appreciated by the audience that waved national flags during the performance. The entire ceremony was simultaneously presented in sign language to facilitate the differently-abled children.
