It is a matter of great honor and prestige for us to celebrate Pakistan’s 68th Independence Day.

On this auspicious occasion, I extend my sincere, warm and heartiest felicitations to all Pakistanis in the Kingdom as well as to those living in Pakistan and other foreign countries.

Pakistan is our identity that we earned through immense sacrifices.

Countless people gave their blood to kindle the light of freedom and millions had to migrate for this purpose.

The 14th August reminds us of the struggle of our forefathers and their sacrifices.

They sacrificed their present for our future.

We must pay homage to them and acknowledge their devotion and commitment to the movement for creation of Pakistan.

At the same time, we must also reiterate our own commitment to the spirit and objectives of the creation of Pakistan and devote ourselves to make Pakistan a developed, welfare and truly democratic state.

The objective of Pakistan was to provide equal opportunities to all inhabitants regardless of their race, color or religion.

The creation of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was the logical conclusion of a just and democratic freedom struggle.

It was the result of the heroic and dynamic leadership of Qauid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

We remain committed to the vision of Quaid-e-Azam in letter and spirit.

The democratic government under the leadership of Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif is fully committed to the ideals of democracy, constitutionalism, equality and justice.

The Government is also committed to weed out extremism and terrorism from the country, and will ensure its safety and security by all means.

The operation “Zarb-e-Azb” launched by the armed forces and law enforcement agencies of Pakistan is part of the government policy to establish peace in the country.

We must pay tribute to the armed forces and law enforcement agencies for their sacrifices.

We must also extend our fullest support to the operation.

With the grace of Almighty Allah and the active support of the people, the Government will not only surmount all challenges but also put the country on the trajectory of development.

The Independence Day demands of us that we should plan our future strategy in the light of our past experiences.

If we fail to correct our mistakes today, do not choose the right path, and continue to serve our personal interests instead of the national objectives, the future generations will never pardon us.

We have to transfer a peaceful, strong and prosperous Pakistan to our future generations where they can live in respect.

For this purpose, we must demonstrate exemplary unity and solidarity.

Let us renew our pledge today that regardless of our personal interests and preferences, we will dedicate our energies for Pakistan and lead it to high level of development and prosperity as envisioned by Allama Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.

The role of expatriates is very critical to achieve this goal through their conduct as Ambassadors of Pakistan. Their contribution in terms of remittances is a backbone of Pakistan’s economy.

Their expertise and experiences are very valuable asset for Pakistan.

Pakistan is a nation that promotes and advocates friendly relations among nations based on the principles of political equality, non-discrimination and shared socio-economic prosperity.

The relationship between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is unique and exemplary.

Our fraternal relations are based on unanimity of views on all international and regional issues.

Our two countries always endeavour to further enrich this relationship by breaking new political, strategic, economic and cultural grounds.

We both are determined to work jointly to preserve our sovereignty and maintain peace and security at regional and international levels.

I gratefully acknowledge support and cooperation extended by brotherly Saudi Arabia to Pakistan in times of joys and sorrows since its inception.

The historic and landmark visit of Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz to Pakistan has further strengthened the bilateral relationship.

The meetings of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif with the Saudi leadership during his recent visit to Saudi Arabia provided a boost to enhance the level of bilateral cooperation.

The love and affection of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah for Pakistanis and Pakistan is very well-known and beyond any doubt.

He has always supported Pakistan and given special dispensation to Pakistani expatriates living in the Kingdom. We pray for his health and long life.

Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia is one of the strongest links in our relationship with the Kingdom.

The devotion and dedication of the community to socio-economic development of both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is particularly praiseworthy.

On this historic day, let us pledge that we will continue to build and promote image of Pakistan.

Let us pledge to promote unity amongst ourselves.

Let us renew our commitment to Pakistan’s progress and prosperity and to stronger relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

Let us also pray for the security and prosperity of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Long live Pakistan.

Long Live Pakistan-Saudi Arabia friendship.

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Aftab A. Khokher, Consul General of Pakistan