Saudi Gazette

 

JEDDAH — The Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) marked the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s resolution held in March 1940 in Lahore at a ceremony held at a local restaurant here. It was presided over by renowned Saudi intellectual, scholar and ex-diplomat Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi. 

 

Other  guests at the event were Dr. Irfan Hashmi, Dr. Zubair  Ahmed, Syed Mahmoud  Akhtar and Mohammad Khaled Jawaid of Engineers Forum, and Sohail Bokhari of ARY digital TV Channel.

 

Al-Ghamdi, who studied in Karachi during the late 1970s and considers it as the best part of his life,  in  his presidential  address thanked  PRC  for  inviting  on  the  occasion of   Pakistan’s  National  Day. "We  always  pray  for  its  success, integrity   and  solidarity, since  it  gives  strength   to the  Ummah." 

 

He cited a historic incident about Dr. Mohammad  Asad, a Jew who converted to  Islam,  who convinced  Allama  Iqbal to persuade  Indian  Muslims  for  a separate  homeland when they met in 1932. Later, he also convinced Jinnah  to lead  with  this  concept. 

 

Pakistan  was  established  after   great  sacrifices  by the  Muslims  of  subcontinent, especially  people  of  minority  Muslim provinces  (which  did  not  join  Pakistan). 

 

In  1947, while  majority  of  the Muslims  migrated  to  western  Pakistan those  who  migrated  to  eastern  part  also  came  with  the  same conviction to  be part of  Islamic  state. 

 

However, in 1971  they  failed  to protect  East  Pakistan  and  became  victim  of  Bengali  separatist  who  became  victorious  due  to  losing  of the  war. 

 

For over 43 years  they  are  languishing  in  camps   scattered  in   Bangladesh  without   any support.

 

He  hoped  that the supreme  court  will  accept  the  rights  of  the  stranded  Pakistanis  and the government  of  Nawaz  Sharif  will  take  urgent  measures  to  settle  them  in  Pakistan.

 

He  said: "It  is  the  primary  responsibility  of  Pakistan  to  pursue  action  to  settle  them,  and  in  this  Bangladesh  should  also  play  active  role  and  if  some  percentage  of   stranded  Pakistanis  could  settle  then  Bangladesh  should  facilitate  their  settlement  with  dignity  and  humanity.  Pakistan  should  approach  OIC, MWL  to  overcome  difficulties  in  solving  the  issue."

 

He  also  praised  the  proposal  made  by  PRC  in  arranging "repatriation  and  rehabilitation  on  self  finance  basis," which is  based  on  seeking  employment  in  KSA, GCC  as  means  to  finance  their  repatriation  and  rehabilitation. 

 

He  said: "Pakistan  is  facing  several  pressing  issues, but it should  not  ignore  the  issue  of  stranded  Pakistanis."

 

Aziz Ahmed, senior member of Pakistan community, praised the PRC  for  holding  the event.

 

He  said  that  stranded  Pakistanis  are  real  Pakistanis  and  no one  could  deprive  their  rights  of  Pakistani  citizenship. 

 

He  appealed  to  Prime  Minister  Nawaz   Sharif  to  put  in  his  agenda  to solve the  issue  of  stranded  Pakistanis  soon.

 

Other members of the community included Hamid-ul-Islam, Naushad Usman, Shamsuddin  Altaf, Mohammad  Amanatullah, Mohammad  Ashfaque  Badayuni praised PRC’s  mission  for  repatriation  of  stranded  Pakistanis. 

 

Convener Syed Ehsanul Haque thanked Al-Ghamdi and all speakers, journalist, poets and  guests  and  attendees for participating  in   the  event. 

 

The function  started  off with  the  recitation   of a few verses from the  Quran  by  Syed  Mohsin Alavi;   Naat  was  recited  by  Syed  Raza  Hashmi.  

 

Syed  Mohsin  Alavi,   Abdul Qayyum  Wasiq   and Zamurrad  Khan  Saifi presented  poems  on  the  struggle  of  Pakistan. 

 

Sher  Afzal  presented  national  poem  of  Allama  Iqbal. 

The event  was   conducted  by Abdul  Qayyum Wasiq. Shamsuddin  Altaf  supplicated  for  Pakistan  and  Saudi  Arabia.