Nation celebrates Diamond Jubilee, the 75th Anniversary of Independence Day of the motherland today with a renewed pledge to make it strong and a true Islamic welfare state under the spirit of Pakistan Movement.
The day dawned with a 31-one gun salute in the federal capital and 21-one gun salute in the provincial headquarters.
Prayers were offered for the security and progress of Pakistan and the well-being of the people. The national flag has been hoisting at all important public and private buildings.
In Lahore, the national flag hoisting ceremony was held at Governor’s House. Governor Balighur Rehman addressed the ceremony.
President Dr Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in their messages congratulated the nation on Independence Day.
Pakistanis are celebrating the country's diamond jubilee with traditional zeal and fervour, with commemorative ceremonies being held in different cities today.
According to Radio Pakistan, the day dawned with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in the provincial headquarters. Prayers were offered for the security and progress of Pakistan, and the well-being of the people, the report said.
A change of guard ceremony was also held at the mausoleum of the Quaid-i-Azam in Karachi.
The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also unveiled the design of Rs75 commemorative banknote for the country's diamond jubilee. According to the central bank, the note will be available for public issuance from September 30.
"The note has portraits of Quaid-i-Azam, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Allama Iqbal and Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah to recognise and acknowledge their contribution in Pakistan Movement. The Markhor on the note’s reverse highlights our focus on environmental sustainability," the SBP said.Celebrating 75 years of independence, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif vowed to transform the country into an economic power.
Addressing the flag-hoisting ceremony at the Jinnah Convention centre in Islamabad, he stressed the need for a national dialogue and developing consensus on a charter of economy in order to transform Pakistan into an economic power.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addresses the flag-hoisting ceremony in Islamabad. — DawnNewsTV
"If we can become a nuclear power, we can also become an economic power but for it we have to strive day and night and prove to the world that we are no less than anyone," the prime minister said.
“Pakistan Movement is a lesson for everyone," he said, adding that no amount of hurdles could deter a nation from achieving its goals once it decided its path.
PM Shehbaz also urged the nation to play a role in the country's development by following Quaid-i-Azam's principles of united, faith and discipline. He also said that the nation should identify the mistake of the past in order to avoid repeating them in the future.
'Great sacrifices of our forefathers'
Earlier, in separate messages, the prime minister and President Arif Alvi congratulated the country on 75 years of independence.
In their messages, they said that this day reminds us of the sacrifices rendered by our founding fathers under the dynamic leadership of Quaid-i-Azam, Radio Pakistan reported.
The president said today we also reaffirm our resolve to uphold Pakistan's ideology and to make the country into an ideal modern Islamic welfare nation-state.
In his message Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said Pakistan had the necessary tools to embrace all challenges. He underlined that the country honours the extraordinary efforts of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and his companions that led to the creation of Pakistan which he termed "our independent homeland".
"We also pay tribute to the great sacrifices rendered by our forefathers in the struggle for freedom."