The pleasant morning weather made the 77th National Day celebrations at the Pakistan embassy an indulgent affair. Colourful as the setting was — with an eye-catching life-sized crescent-and-star flag adorning the building at the gate — it was left to the children attired in mostly green and white Pakistani colours to steal the show with their vocal prowess.
In what has become a customary convergence on the premises of the diplomatic mission in Doha every 23rd March, expatriate Pakistanis from all walks of life turned up to partake the pomp and ceremony, only this time in even larger numbers than last year.
Ambassador Shahzad Ahmad and the embassy officers and staff wore the traditional sherwani and shalwar kameez whilst the defence officers and their staff were smartly dressed in uniforms. The expats brought to the festive spirit a profusion of green — in their attire, pinned flag replicas and flag buntings.
The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Qur’an. This was followed by messages of the president and prime minister read out by Sadia Gohar Khanum, Deputy Head of Mission.
In his felicitation message to the nation, President Mamnoon Hussain, made a strong pitch on constitutionalism and plurality, recalling the ideals of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the Father of The Nation.
“The Quaid and our forefathers had envisaged a democratic and pluralistic state where constitutionalism and rule of law would reign supreme and where minorities will enjoy equal rights and opportunities. Let us remind ourselves on this day that Pakistan was created as a result of democratic struggle and its survival and wellbeing also depends on democracy. I am confident that the parliament, the people and all institutions will work in harmony to this end,” the president enthused.
Hussain was also sanguine about the economic dividends that Pakistan expects to reap in the future. “Pakistan is poised to become a regional economic power. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has the potential to change the fate of the region in terms of socio-economic development. The mega project, once completed, will usher in prosperity and progress not only in Pakistan but also in the whole region,” the president pointed out.
Recalling the significance of 23rd March in terms of Pakistan’s identity and calling, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif pledged to “build a society where nobody is discriminated against on the basis of colour, ethnicity, religion, creed or sect”. Noting that “there has been an appreciable acceleration in this process during the last three years,” the PM exhorted the nation to join hands “to make Pakistan a modern and developed state in conformity with the vision and thinking of the Quaid”.
Ambassador Shahzad Ahmad congratulated the gathering on the National Day and urged the expatriates to work for the betterment of the country. He also hailed the strong brotherly relations with the State of Qatar.
The highlight of the occasion was the presentation of national songs by schoolchildren following the speeches. They began with National Poet Dr Sir Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s evocative verse Lab Pe Aati Hai Dua Ban Ke Tamanna Meri (My Longing Comes to My Lips as Supplication of Mine).
This was followed by popular unity-of-purpose renditions in late ‘King of Ghazal’ Mehdi Hasan’s Ye Watan Tumhara Hai (This Land is Yours); classical and ghazal singer Ustad Amanat Ali Khan’s Ae Watan Pyare Watan (O’ Land, My Beloved Land); and that alternative modern anthem from the erstwhile pop band Vital Signs — Dil Dil Pakistan (My Heart is Pakistan). It had melancholy written all over it, in this instance, given the demise of vocalist Junaid Jamshed in a plane crash last December.
But the mustachioed Malik Sarfraz, a cheerleader known for his vocal support for all things Pakistani around Doha, was at hand to brighten the mood in the embassy hall with full throated slogans, and an indulgent attempt at raising the pitch for Dil Dil Pakistan!
Adding to the festivity this year, was a drawing and painting contest announced by the embassy to coincide with the celebration. The winners were given awards by the ambassador. This was followed by the cake-cutting and a Lahori naashta (breakfast).
