By Syed Mussarat Khalil.
Jeddah-Pakistan Consulate General Jeddah hosted a dinner reception on the occasion of 75th Pakistan’s Independence Day in collaboration with the Pakistan National Solidarity Forum (PNSF) at the lawn of Pakistan house Al-Rawdah district. Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh permanent representative of Pakistan in The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was Chief Guest. While founder convener of PNSF Syed Riaz Hussain Bukhari was the guest of honour. Commercial Consul Syed Abdul Waheed Shah was the master of the ceremony.
Consulate officers, dignitaries of the Pakistani community from various walks of life, women and media representatives participated in the ceremony. The function started with the recitation of a few verses from the Holy Qur’an by Dr. Javed Jadon.
Consul General Pakistan Khalid Majeed welcomed all the participants and congratulated them on Independence Day. He paid tribute to the vision and leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah. He said the establishment of an Islamic state on the world map through a peaceful struggle in a short time of 7 years is a miracle. He said that the sacrifices of Kashmiris will also bring independence to them. Insha Allah, Kashmir will be free from the clutches of India. He emphasized national unity in his address and said that we will make this forum stronger. He praised the efforts of Riaz Bukhari for collecting all the political parties and social organizations of the Pakistani community on a single platform. He also thanked the people and the government of Saudi Arabia for their generosity and kindness.
The chief guest Rizwan Saeed Sheikh presented the best analysis of the 75 years of the history of Pakistan in his address. He said that we can move forward only by adopting the principles of Quaid-i-Azam. He said the nation should have only one narrative which is the spirit of the national anthem, “The strength of brotherhood of the people”. On this occasion, a national song prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was presented. Local artist Fakhar Adnan also sung a national song.
Founder convener Syed Riaz Hussain Bukhari, senior member Chaudhry Akram Gujjar, educationist and general secretary Pakistan International Overseas forum (PIOF) Dr. Rozina Shaheen and nutritionist Adiya Wahaj also addressed the gathering and highlighted Independence Day. They also thanked to Consul General Khalid Majid for his excellent cooperation and services to the Pakistani community and prayed for his good health and long life.
At the end, a cake-cutting ceremony and sumptuous dinner were held. A shield was also presented to the Consul General from PNSF.
