Leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Thursday marked the 149th birth anniversary of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by asserting that party founder Imran Khan is the only contemporary leader following the nation”s founder”s ideology and vowing to create a “new Pakistan” free from what they described as prevailing oppression and coercion.
The commemoration involved dual events in the city, with party officials reiterating a commitment to constitutionalism and the rule of law as envisioned by the country’s founder.
At the Insaf House Secretariat, PTI Sindh president Haleem Adil Sheikh led a cake-cutting ceremony attended by Karachi president Raja Azhar, General Secretary Arslan Khalid, and other party figures.
Speaking at the gathering, Mr Sheikh paid rich tribute to Jinnah’s services, stating that his life remained a “guiding light for building a dignified and civilised nation.” He stressed that national progress and economic stability could only be achieved through the implementation of the Constitution and the supremacy of law.
He further claimed that while Quaid-i-Azam had created Pakistan, Imran Khan would be the one to “safeguard it,” positioning the former prime minister as the sole political figure currently adhering to Jinnah”s principles.
Meanwhile, a separate delegation led by Raja Azhar visited Mazar-i-Quaid to pay homage and offer fateha. The group included various party officials and parliamentary members.
Addressing the occasion, Mr Azhar said the “oppression, injustice and coercion being witnessed in the country today” did not reflect the Pakistan envisioned by its founders. He stated that Allama Iqbal”s vision of a state based on justice, merit, and minority rights was transformed into reality by Jinnah.
Mr Azhar expressed confidence that a “new Pakistan was taking shape under the leadership of Imran Khan,” which would be based on the vision of the Quaid. He maintained that the foundation for this new state, which he said would be a true welfare, sovereign, and ideological nation, had already been laid.