Syed Mussarat Khalil Saudi GazetteJEDDAH — The Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) held a function on Thursday to mark the 65th anniversary of Pakistan's independence. Community leader Gulab Khan, Vice President of Urdu Markaz, congratulated Pakistanis on the occasion. He praised the role of Allama Iqbal who encouraged the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, to create a separate homeland for Muslims of the Indian Subcontinent but said more had to be done for the country to thrive.“In the past 65 years we have failed to achieve our goal in making Pakistan an Islamic welfare state. It is high time to take immediate measures to avoid further escalation of ethnic or linguistic divisions. Islam is the only bond that keeps Pakistan united."Chief guest Khaled Almaeena, Editor-in-Chief of Saudi Gazette, said the creation of Pakistan, under the leadership of Jinnah in 1947, was not only important for Muslims of the subcontinent but for the Ummah and Saudi Arabia in particular.“We consider Pakistan a trustworthy partner that will be with us whenever we need it. We wish to see a stable, united and prosperous Pakistan and we hope the country can overcome ethnic and linguistic divisions, terrorism, and any other forms of instability," Almaeena said.“Instability in 1971 resulted in the separation of East Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. There are still a quarter of a million patriotic Pakistanis living in miserable conditions in Bangladeshi camps and I pray and hope that both countries can sit down and solve this four-decade-old issue," he added.PRC convener Syed Ehsanul Haque thanked the speakers, poets and journalists who attended the function.
