JEDDAH — Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) celebrated 138th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan, at Mehran Thursday. Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi, renowned Saudi intellectual, writer and former diplomat, presided over the gathering. Al-Ghamdi said that he considers himself Pakistani, and that Jinnah was his leader also and he was not only great leader of Pakistan but of the Muslim world. Quoting historian Stanley Hedley, Al-Ghamdi said: “Few individuals significantly changed the course of history, fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation-state. Jinnah did all those three.” “In 1947 lots of Muslims moved to East Pakistan but they became captives in 1971 after the creation of Bangladesh, so it is the duty of Pakistan to give them back their Pakistan by repatriating and rehabilitating them. I am sure soul of Qauide Azam will not be happy that patriotic Pakistanis are left in Bangladeshi where they are humiliated and persecuted over four decades,” he said. Saeed Farah Al-Ghamdi, former Kingdom's permanent representative to the International Organization of Civil Aviation (ICOA) in Canada and ex-director general of Presidency of Civil Aviation (PCA) Airways Engineering (AE) at Ministry of Defence and Aviation (MODA), was the chief guest. Al-Farah strongly condemned the barbaric act on the innocent students of the Peshawar school. He said that he is highly impressed by the leadership of Jinnah, and is very happy to speak about him on this occasion. “Pakistan is playing strong a role in whole Muslim world. Pakistanis are intelligent, honest, hard working and committed people, and have played an important role in Saudi Arabia's progress and development,” he said. The function started with the recitation of a few verses from the holy Qura'n by Abdul Majeed. Zamurrad Khan and A.Q Waseq presented poems in tribute to Quaid-e-Azam. Deputy Convener Hamid Islam welcomed the guests and briefed PRC's effort in solving the issue of Kashmiris and stranded Pakistanis. Abu Farhan Siddiqui, general secretary Muslim Welfare Development Organization (MWDO), gave details of activities for stranded Pakistanis in several camps in Bangladesh in the field of education, health care and subsistence allowances, among others. Choudhry Riaz Ghumman of Kashmir Committee, Tayyab Mosani, secretary general of Memon Welfare Society (MWS), Social worker, Shamsuddin Altaf, Engineer Aziz Ahmed General Secretary, Pakistan Engineers Society (PES) Writer, Mohammad Amanatullah, Maqbool-ur-Rahman Abbassi, representative Pakistan Journalist Forum (PJF) and Community member Mohammad Akram Agha also paid tribute to Quaid-e-Azam. Convener Syed Ehsan-ul-Haque thanked all the guests for their participation. Secretary general Abdul Qayyum Wasiq conducted the proceedings.
