ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in India has said that the goal of regional peace and stability can be achieved by enhancing mutual understanding, addressing shared interests and resolving long-standing disputes including Jammu and Kashmir.
“The cycle of perpetual conflict and tension is not our appointed destiny. We can emerge from the shadow of the past and create a future of hope for our two nations based on peaceful coexistence, sovereign equality and mutual respect,” said Saad Ahmad Warraich. speaking at a Pakistan Day reception held at the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi, a press release received on Friday said.
He said that the founding fathers of Pakistan and India envisioned friendly relations between the two countries. Unfortunately, the history of their bilateral relations remained largely in doubt, he added.
The grand reception was attended by a large number of guests including political figures, members of the diplomatic corps, businessmen, representatives of the media and civil society and prominent Muslim personalities including the custodians of various shrines in India.
The charge d’affaires, who earlier received the guests on the lawns, emphasized the significance of Pakistan Day by saying that the historic resolution passed by the All India Muslim League at its annual meeting in Lahore on 23 March 1940 laid the foundation for the Pakistan Movement.
He said that under the visionary leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the idea of Pakistan became a reality within seven years.
Warraich told the gathering that over the years, Pakistan has made important strides in strengthening pluralism, deepening democracy, promoting free media and nurturing a vibrant civil society. The dynamic and enterprising youth of Pakistan is the repository of the nation’s enduring faith in a bright and prosperous future, he added.
Guests were served traditional Pakistani cuisine. Documentaries highlighting natural beauty, national heritage, landscape, art and culture of Pakistan were also screened during the event.
