Gilani for collective approach to overcome national challenges

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday urged the nation to ensure unity in their ranks and called for a collective approach to overcome the challenges being faced by the country. The Prime Minister was addressing a seminar 'Pakistan Meri Pehchaan' (Pakistan, my identity) held by Express Media Group to honour the personalities who brought laurels to the country in diverse fields.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan and prominent mediapersons attended the seminar. Cricketer Shahid Afridi, writer Iftikhar Arif, human rights worker, Ansar Burney, scientist, Dr Ata-ur-Rehman, film star Javaid Sheikh and Ibrahim Shahid, the student who made world record in O-levels, were invited as acknowledgement of their achievements in their fields.
Gilani said the government was striving to resolve the issues confronting the country through its prudent policies. However, he stressed the need for oneness among the nation to accomplish the goals smoothly. He said Pakistan had given tremendously to its people in terms of self-respect and freedom and it was now their duty to fulfil responsibilities towards their motherland.
"Our existence is linked with the solidarity of Pakistan," he said and added, "a country is the identity of a person, no matter how big success he becomes". He said the people of Pakistan had all the potential to jointly overcome difficult times and mentioned their exemplary dedication at the time of floods and earthquake.
The Prime Minister said the government was pursuing the policy of reconciliation to ensure the country's sovereignty and stability, which was its top most priority. He said he did not consider the government as a source of power but a way to serve the people. Gilani said that all state institutions were working properly within their ambits.
He mentioned the policies of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who inculcated a sense of motivation and pride among the nation by giving it the 1973 Constitution and the nuclear programme. The Prime Minister lauded the holding of seminar to recognise the services of those who made remarkable achievements in their fields. He said acknowledging heroes in their lives was a characteristic of a lively nation.
He also said such gesture would encourage those who wanted to brave challenges and contribute towards the country. Information Minister, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said the importance of an independent county could be realised by those nations who were struggling for freedom.
She said though the country was at the crossroads of crises including terrorism, unemployment, poverty and law and order situation, however the government was striving for sustainable solutions to all.She said on this Independence Day, the nation needed to work hard to help the country stand among the international community with pride.
The Information Minister mentioned the contributions of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah that gathered the Muslims of Indian Sub-continent at a single platform. She said if compared with the Muslims in India at present, the difference was that the Pakistani Muslims had their own identity.
Iftikhar Arif, writer and former Chairman National Language Authority, said the nation must rise above the differences of provincialism and act as a single entity. Ansar Burney, Chairman of Ansar Burney Trust, termed the four provinces as four brothers, which he said, must stand by each other in trying times.
Cricket Shahid Afridi said he felt satisfaction that the seminar was highlighting nationalism contrary to the contemporary practice of boosting provincialism and ethnicity. Ibrahim Shahid, the student who made a world record by getting 23 As out of 24 subjects in O level examination, said he dedicated his achievements to the country which had given him an identity.
Actor Javaid Sheikh stressed the need to face the challenges by contributing for the motherland through hard work and dedication. Professor Dr Ata-ur-Rehman called for focusing more on education to develop the society on sensible terms. He lauded the government's decision to allocate 7 percent of the GDP for education sector. Renowned journalists M. Ziauddin and Abbas Athar representing the Express Media Group were present. Director of Haier Group Nawabzada Muhammad Shah Afridi also spoke on the occasion.