By Ahsan Mughal
KARACHI: Pakistan’s founding father, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, had envisioned the country as a welfare state where all citizens would enjoy equal rights, the opposition leader in the Sindh assembly, Ali Khursheedi, said on Wednesday, as he marked Jinnah’s birth anniversary.
Khursheedi, accompanied by fellow members of the Sindh assembly, visited Mazar-e-Quaid in Karachi to pay homage to the founder of the nation. Speaking to journalists after laying floral wreaths, he said 25 December was not merely a commemorative occasion but a moment of collective reflection and renewal of commitment.
“This day reminds us that Pakistan was achieved after immense sacrifices,” Khursheedi said. “We must ask ourselves honestly whether we are still walking on the path shown by Quaid-e-Azam.”
He said Jinnah’s guiding principles of “unity, faith and discipline” remained the only true guarantee of national success, stressing that the struggle led by the founder of Pakistan had secured an independent identity for the Muslims of the subcontinent — a chapter of history that, he said, would always be remembered with pride.
Khursheedi said Jinnah’s idea of Pakistan went far beyond the creation of a geographical state. “The Quaid wanted Pakistan to be a cradle of justice and fairness,” he said, adding that the very purpose of independence was to establish a state where opportunities for progress were available to all, without discrimination of colour, race, language or religion.
Reflecting on the country’s present challenges, he said the anniversary should prompt national self-accountability. “We must consider whether we are truly moving towards the Pakistan whose foundations were laid by Quaid-e-Azam,” he said.
He added that Pakistan remained fortunate to still have patriotic leadership committed to safeguarding Jinnah’s vision, but warned that the country could not emerge from its economic and political crises without embracing the discipline and order that defined the founder’s character. “The birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam reminds us that if we unite around his principles, no power in the world can stop Pakistan from progressing,” Khursheedi said.
