ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan was turning Pakistan into a welfare state as envisioned by founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah and national poet Muhammad Iqbal through various pro-poor initiatives, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry Monday said.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of a photo exhibition on the life of Jinnah at the Pakistan-China Friendship Centre, he said the message of Jinnah about the future of the Muslim state was loud and clear.
The minister opined that today, the biggest challenge was how to reclaim Pakistan of Jinnah. He said Prime Minister Imran Khan wanted to transform Pakistan into the state envisioned by the founder.
He said writers from India and Bangladesh were confused about Jinnah and his vision for Pakistan. Quaid-i-Azam, he said, made it abundantly clear on three occasions: in his addresses to the first Constituent Assembly, the military and the civil service.
He said both Jinnah and Iqbal were modern, progressive and visionary leaders who realised the future of Muslims and other minorities residing in India. Iqbal, he said, had realised long ago what difficulties Muslims could face, and Jinnah, for his part, decided to create a separate homeland for them after realising the intentions of the Congress party.
Touching on the tragic killing of a foreign national in Sialkot, the minister said the entire nation was united in condemning the incident. On the contrary, such incidents had become a new normal in India, he said.
He observed New York Times carried a front-page story exposing atrocities being committed against members of the minority Christian community in India. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had made the lives of minorities miserable.
The minister said India was facing decline today under the Modi government, and termed it an extremist and fascist regime.
The purpose of establishing Pakistan was to protect the rights of minorities, Chaudhry said, adding Pakistan was a bright hope for the region amid growing tendencies of extremism and religious fanaticism in the immediate neighbourhood.
He said while Jinnah was clear in his message, taking his message to the common man was the biggest battle.
Terming the photo exhibition on the occasion of Jinnah’s birth anniversary a welcome step, he said: “We have to start a movement to convey the message of Quaid-i-Azam to the common man”.
Chaudhry said Jinnah’s birthday was celebrated in a befitting manner, fireworks were set off in Islamabad, a party of colours and light was held for which he congratulated all the organisers.
Information Secretary Shahera Shahid and senior officers of the ministry and attached departments were also present on the occasion.
