Like other parts of the country, the 134 birth anniversary of Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was celebrated here on Saturday with a renewed pledge to make the country a modern and progressive welfare state. The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for progress and prosperity of Pakistan and departed soul of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
To pay homage to the great leader, political, educational and social circles organised special functions for the momentous day in which rich tributes were paid to the Quaid, who created a separate state for Muslims of South Asia on August 14, 1947. A number of cultural and educational institutions, parties and organisations arranged various programmes and highlighted the Quaid's political, social, legal and educational services besides Unity, Faith and Discipline. All government, semi-government offices and commercial centres were closed. The major buildings were illuminated as mark of respect to the charismatic leader.
Local TV and radio channels aired special programmes on Quaid's life while the newspapers published special supplements. The Father of the Nation had great love for Pakthuns. He visited this part of the country on several occasions during his short life after creation of Pakistan. He also visited historic Islamia College Peshawar and was greatly impressed of by domes, lush-green lawns, majestic edifice of its beautiful architecture and role of its students during the Pakistan Movement.
Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had a fondness for the institution and visited the college in 1936, 1945 and 1948. He became an honorary member of Khyber Union, a debating society of the college in 1936. "The Quaid's love for the college can be judged from his will written on May 30, 1939 in Bombay in which he declared Islamia college Peshawar, the Muslim University Aligarh and Sindh Madrassatul Islam Karachi as among the inheritors of his property.
"The Quaid Trust has paid Rs 10,811,600 in different instalments to the college. The amount was spent on the establishment of Quaid-e-Azam College of Commerce, University of Peshawar, construction of Jinnah residential quarters for the college employees, Jinnah College for Women and the newly constructed Takbeer block.