Adding cheer to Pakistan National Day

Abu Dhabi/Dubai: Pakistani expatriates celebrated their National Day on Sunday, expressing optimism about the newly-elected government that they hope will help usher in peace in the country and facilitate an environment that will boost investor confidence and all-round development.

Pakistan National Day is observed to mark the Lahore Resolution, which was later named the Pakistan Resolution, which was passed unanimously at the All India Muslim League's annual convention in Lahore in March, 1940.

The convention was presided over by the founder of Pakistan, Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The resolution demanded that the Muslims of the sub-continent must have a separate homeland to live in peace and harmony. Seven years later, on August 14, 1947, the freedom movement led to the birth of Pakistan as an independent and sovereign country.

Ceremonies

Flag-hoisting ceremonies were held yesterday at the Pakistan Embassy in Abu Dhabi and its Consulate General in Dubai.

Ahsan Ullah Khan, Pakistani Ambassador, hoisted the flag in Abu Dhabi while Abdul Hameed Chaudhry, Consul General, hoisted the flag in Dubai in the presence of a large number of community members.

Khan in his speech said President Pervez Musharraf has delivered on his promise to conduct free, fair, transparent and peaceful elections in the country and now it's up to the new political leadership to deliver on the promises made by their elected representatives to their respective constituencies.

"Now good governance has to start. Our mature political leaders have to unite to take the country forward," said Khan, shortly after unfurling the national flag while the Pakistan national anthem was played. "Pakistan comes first. Political differences are secondary," he added.

Speaking in Dubai, Chaudhry called upon the community members to show unity and work for the development of Pakistan and respect UAE laws.

Gulf News also spoke to some community members about the current political situation in Pakistan and about their expectations.

Bashir Tahir, Chief Executive of the Abu Dhabi Business Group, said: "We have to act like responsible global citizens and participate in the progress of our own people."

'Looking forward'

Azizur Rahman, a 42-year-old Islamic teacher at Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Arab-Pakistani School, said the political alliance between Pakistan People's Party and Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) augurs well for the future of Pakistan.

"We have new hopes for Pakistan after several years of political strife and civilian unrest," he said.

Seventeen-year old Azka Abid, a Class XII pre-medical pupil in Pakistan school, said: "I am looking forward to a more developed and progressive-minded Pakistan and am confident that our nation will overcome all the problems that it's been facing recently at the political and the social level."

According to figures provided by the Pakistan embassy, in 2006-2007 financial year, Pakistan attracted around $6.2 billion (about Dh22 billion) in foreign direct investments, as compared with around $4.5 billion a year earlier.

During the period July-December 2007, the UAE's foreign direct investments into Pakistan totalled about $600 million, up from around $350 million during the same period a year earlier, Bilan Khan Pasha, commercial counsellor at the embassy told Gulf News.

- With inputs by Ashfaq Ahmed, Chief Reporter