President Alvi urges 'path of forgiveness' to end political differences

• Progress, development contingent on unity, justice, and meritocracy.
• "Where there is no justice, entire system will collapse," says Alvi.
• Nation's responsibility to ensure safety of women, he adds.

On Pakistan's 77th Independence Day celebration, President Arif Alvi on Monday urged the country's politicians and other stakeholders to embrace the path of forgiveness, drawing inspiration from the life and teachings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). 

After the hoisting of the national flag at the main flag hoisting ceremony held at the Convention Center in Islamabad today, President Alvi said time and circumstances demand that Quaid Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah's message of "Unity, Faith and Discipline" be followed in letter and spirit.

He further added that Pakistan's progress and development were contingent on unity, justice, and meritocracy.

He stressed that unity is what makes a nation and said that it was not too late for the country to make changes. He also expressed confidence that Pakistan could become a developed country in a matter of a few years.

Veering away from Islamic principles and core values would exacerbate the situation, he said, highlighting the necessity of breaking free from nepotism, promoting meritocracy, and ensuring comprehensive justice — particularly in the socio-economic sphere — in order to progress.

"In a country where there is no justice, the entire system will collapse," he said.

In his impassioned speech, the president spoke about the need to foster a system in which the poor was cared for, drawing examples from the life of the Holy Prophet (PBUH), holding the elite responsible for ensuring the play their part in uplifting the country out of drudgery.   

President Alvi in his address also termed promoting education a need of paramount importance to alleviate poverty.

"Twenty-seven million children are out of school," he said regretfully, urging the affluent class to come forward and make arrangements for their education.

Another issue pivotal to addressing the issue of poverty is ensuring better health he pointed out.

Another crucial point mentioned by the president in his address was the need for greater participation of women in economic activities.

They constitute almost half of the population and their involvement is important to achieving a high growth rate, he said, referring to both religion and examples from the life of the esteemed founder of Pakistan to bolster his claim.

It is your responsibility to ensure the safety of women so that they should not be harassed on the roads. It is your responsibility to ensure that when a woman leaves her house in search of employment, you make it safe for her," he remarked.

"This is not something new I'm telling you. I am merely reminding you [of this responsibility]," he added.

Furthermore, President Alvi paid glowing tributes to the sacrifices that were made by those who struggled for the creation and self-assertion of Pakistan.

He said Quaid-e-Azam was amongst the few leaders who changed the world's map and also created a nation. He said it is important to recall the sacrifices of our forefathers to give an impetus to the struggle aimed at strengthening Pakistan.

The President said our armed forces and people continue to render sacrifices even today. He said about one hundred thousand people lost their lives in the war on terrorism, reaffirming the commitment to continue the struggle against the menace.

Strongly lamenting Islamophobic incidents in Western countries, he said that Islam is a religion of peace and Muslims love their Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), and the Holy Quran.

He further said that at a time when humanity was in danger because of threats such as global warming, we should promote harmony instead of hatred.

Turning to the situation in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), President Alvi reiterated Pakistan's resolve to stand by their Kashmiri brothers and sisters.

He urged the international community to pay attention to the resolution of this dispute per the UN Security Council Resolutions.

Moreover, the president also expressed his gratitude to friendly countries including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, China, Iran, and Turkiye for supporting Pakistan in difficult times.

Earlier the President hoisted the national flag.

The ceremony was attended amongst others by Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani and National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf.

— With additional input from Radio Pakistan