It is a pleasant coincidence that this year we are commemorating the Independence Day in the holy month of Ramadan — the month during which Pakistan came into being. Taking this opportunity, I sincerely pray to Almighty Allah for Pakistan’s continued strength and hope that this year’s Independence Day ushers our country into an era of continuous prosperity, peace, political stability and economic development with a greater and more effective role in the comity of nations.

Sixty-four years ago, the creation of Pakistan marked the beginning of our nation’s journey. It, indeed, was a great triumph but not the final destination. It was essentially an affirmation of the Muslims of the South Asian subcontinent, under the leadership of their great Quaid, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, to realize their ideals in the realms of religion, politics, social justice and economics. Today, I believe that with wholehearted sincerity and devotion we should renew our pledge of translating the dreams of our founding fathers into a reality.

As we all are aware, Pakistan today faces a number of daunting challenges on many fronts. At this juncture of our history, “unity” is the bedrock for nation’s march toward a better future. Democratic setup in Pakistan is still in its nascent stage; nevertheless it has been able to achieve encouraging milestones that would strengthen the federation and would give more sense of belonging to the provinces. The passage of 18th and 19th Constitutional Amendments, National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, empowering of Parliament and other state institutions and Balochistan initiative have strengthened the fabric of “democracy” and “nationhood” in our country. The government has been pursuing a policy of reconciliation to promote political and economic stability in the country. It truly believes in continuity and consistency of policies of good governance, moderation and creation of an enabling environment for investment and trade, by extending all out facilities to foreign investors with full repatriation of capital gains, dividends and profits. On this occasion, I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Pakistani community living in the Kingdom and particularly in the western region, which has been supportive of our efforts in making a worthwhile contribution in strengthening Pakistan-Saudi Arabia relations. With the grace of Almighty Allah, as always Pakistan and Saudi Arabia continue to enjoy strong and close brotherly relations. Both our countries have been complementing each other’s efforts at all regional and international fora especially in the global fight against terrorism. The recent visits by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and their meetings with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah further strengthened bilateral relations and enhanced understanding on regional and international issues between the two brotherly countries. I would take this opportunity to express our deepest gratitude for the policies of King Abdullah for supporting Pakistan in difficult times.

In the end, I would like to urge all fellow Pakistanis, residing in Saudi Arabia, to dedicatedly work toward the economic and social development of the Kingdom and use their influence and energies to further strengthen and deepen strategic relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.