Enemy cannot dare harm Pakistan: PM

LAHORE: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani assured the nation on Saturday that the enemy cannot dare harm the seventh nuclear power of the world.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony of Aiwan-e-Quaid-i-Azam here on Saturday, he said the government was making efforts to make Pakistan a true Islamic republic in line with sayings and the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Shaheed and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed.

He said the government wanted to project Pakistanis as a peace loving nation. Paying tributes to Quaid-i-Azam, he said he had started his struggle for a separate homeland on the basis of the two-nation theory which formed the ideology of Pakistan.

He said that Quaid advocated social justice so that the rich could not harm the poor.

He said that great nations resolved their problems courageously and tackled the situation in accordance with the Quaid's dictates of "Faith, Unity and Discipline." He said this formed the basic guideline which would lead the nation to prosperity.

Paying tributes to brave officers and soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the country in the war against terrorism, the prime minister said that a nation could not be defeated whose people considered sacrificing their lives for their fellow beings a pride.

He appreciated Majid Nazami, chairman Nazria Pakistan Trust, for initiating the project of Aiwan-i-Quaid-i-Azam and

assured him of the government support in construction of the building.

He welcomed the decision of converting the Aiwan into an Ideological University and announced Rs 50 million for the university.

He also directed Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Federal Information Minister, to make a centre of media study in the building of Aiwan-i-Quaid-i-Azam.

Earlier, the prime minister gave away shields to workers of the Pakistan Movement.

Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, Federal Minister Information, Majid Nazami, Chairman NPT, and Prof Dr Rafiq Ahmad, Vice Chairman NPT, also addressed the ceremony.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif also arrived but left the ceremony before its commencement as he had to visit Badin, Sindh.

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2011