Pakistan Day celebrated with enthusiasm

The nation celebrated Pakistan Day on Friday across the country with traditional zeal and enthusiasm to commemorate the passage of the Lahore Resolution, later called, the Pakistan Resolution, which eventually led to the creation of Pakistan.
The day dawned with special prayers for the progress and prosperity of the country and with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital as well as 21-gun salutes in provincial capitals, private news channels reported. The national flag was hoisted at important public and private buildings across the country and all Pakistani missions abroad.
However, the permanent feature of armed forces' parade on Pakistan Day was not held owing to security reasons. Governmental, political, cultural, social and other organisations have chalked out various programs to mark the day in a befitting manner.
In Lahore, several dignitaries visited the mausoleum of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, known as Poet of the East to pay homage to the great poet and philosopher. People from all walks of life also visited the mausoleum, lay floral wreaths on the grave and offer fateha. Change of guards took place at mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi. Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah and Governor Sindh Dr Ishrat -ul- Ebad Khan and other dignitaries visited the mausoleum and lay floral wreaths, besides paying homage to the Father of the Nation.
Pakistan Day is being celebrated with traditional zeal in Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. The Pakistan Television, Radio Pakistan and private television channels aired special programmes to highlight the significance of the day and various aspects of the life and work of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other leading personalities of Pakistan Movement.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, in their messages on the occasion, said Pakistan Day is an occasion for expressing the resolve that no dictator will be permitted to usurp the fundamental rights of people or trample on democratic aspirations.