Pakistan’s Independence Day is observed on 14 August, the Muslims of the Subcontinent obtained their separate independent country, Pakistan in 1947, where they would live their lives in accordance with their own religion and culture. The words of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam, bring “Unity, Faith and discipline.
In recognition of this task the Quaid-i-Azam, M A Jinnah addressed the Punjab Muslim Students’ Federation (October 31, 1947), and said, “You are the nation builders of tomorrow and you must equip yourself with discipline, education and training for the arduous task lying ahead of you. You should realize the magnitude of your responsibility and be ready to bear it.”
In a separate message to the All Pakistan Educational Conference (27 November 1947),
Jinnah pointed out that “Education does not only mean merely academic education….. There is an immediate and urgent need for training our people in scientific and technical education in order to build up our economic life.”
This directly refers to the development of values that correlate to dignity of labour. Over sixty years ago, the Quaid pointed out that we need to pay “greater attention to technical and vocational education.” In another speech in Dacca University (March 24, 1948) he stressed that …. “There is no shame in doing manual work and labour.”
Message from Syed Altaf Azeem
Chairman Al-Saqafa, the Pakistan Association.
Syed Altaf Azeem, Chairman Al-Saqafa, the Pakistan Association
Pakistanis, whether living in Pakistan or abroad, are always proud of their social and cultural values and inheritance. They are always striving to promote these and actively protect their core. In foreign cultures the need for an energetic and concerted effort is all the more essential. In keeping with this spirit, Al–Saqafa, The Pakistan Association, was founded in 1993 by a group of prominent Pakistanis, led by Najeeb Afzal, who felt that the community needed its own welfare organization and a social and cultural forum. Being a small but an active forum, Al-Saqafa has held literary nights, charity programs and educational symposiums and has sponsored scholarships for needy students and Ramadan donations to needy family in Bahrain.
A significant part of its surplus from its programs is donated to local charities and some is retained for financing future events. Since its formation, Al-Saqafa has had the honor of inviting to Bahrain a number of the literary figures of Urdu language from Pakistan and India including giants like Ahmed Faraz, Amjad Islam Amjad, and Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Atta-ul-Haq Qasmi, Shahzad Ahmed, Murtaza Barlas, Qateel Shifai, Jagan Nath Azad, Hamayat Ali Shaer and many others. Similarly many prominent artists also came to Bahrain under the banner of Al-Saqafa, including Ustad Hamid Ali Khan, S.B. John, Mehnaz, Sajjad Ali, Tehseen Jafri and several others.
Al-Saqafa is today well known for organizing highly entertaining social and cultural events in Bahrain. Within a short span of seventeen years, the Association has secured a prestigious place among the local social and cultural clubs by successfully presenting a number of literary symposiums and light classical musical programs. Some of the programs included Zia Mohyeddin show, an evening with Mushtaq Ahmed Yousufi, an evening with Anwar Maqsood and Tina Sani an Raat Gaye with Ammar Masood and Murtaza Barlas and last year Mazahiya Mushaira, these programs were all organized very successfully.”
Saqafa is doing extremely good and we had collected last year huge amount for the flood victims in Pakistan. This is the first time in the history of Saqafa that we had collected a sizeable amount. The amount was collected and released after we received an approval from the Ministry of Social Affairs,” the Chairman added.
Pakistan’s Independence Day is observed on 14 August, the Muslims of the Subcontinent obtained their separate independent country, Pakistan in 1947, where they would live their lives in accordance with their own religion and culture. The words of the father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam, bring “Unity, Faith and discipline.