Nation celebrates 144th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam today
An elegant change of guards ceremony was held at the Mazar-e-Quaid.
KARACHI (Dunya News) – The nation is celebrating 144th birth anniversary of Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah today (Friday) with traditional zeal and renewed commitment to work hard for progress and prosperity of the country.
Public holiday has been declared at all the government institutions and the national flag is hoisting atop all public and private buildings.
Change of guards ceremony
The day dawned with Qur’an Khawani at the Quaid’s mausoleum in Karachi. An elegant change of guards ceremony was held at the Mazar-e-Quaid where Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) cadets assumed the guards’ duties.
Commandant PMA Major-General Omer Ahmed Bokhari was the chief guest and inspected the contingent comprising male and female cadets. He offered Fatiha, laid a wreath of flowers and recorded his impressions in the visitor’s book.
Special programmes are being held across the country to shed light on the Quaid’s struggle for creation of Pakistan and to highlight his guiding principles of unity, faith and discipline.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was born on December 25, 1876 in Karachi. He served as leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until Pakistan’s independence on 14 August 1947.
Quaid-e-Azam, literally ‘the great leader’, heroically fought for the right to self determination for Muslims of the subcontinent. His leadership, advocacy and faith led to the creation of what was deemed impossible at the time, Pakistan.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah, in his address to the first constituent assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 had said, “You are free, you are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other places of worship in the newly born State of Pakistan. You may have affiliation or if you belong to any sect, religion, caste or creed, that has nothing to do with the affairs and working of the state.”
