A roundtable conference was organised by Department of Pakistan Studies, GC University Faisalabad to commemorate the 74th Independence Day of Pakistan. It started with the introductory remarks by Dr Abdul Qadir Mushtaq, the Department of Pakistan Studies, Government College University, Fasialabad (GCUF) chairman.
GCUF Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Shahid Kamaal presided over the session and discussed the importance of Independence of Pakistan, where rights of people were entitled to be protected under the Islamic doctrine. Dr Rana Abrar from the University of Education, Lahore, discussed the situation after partition. He spoke on how Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah took up the case of Pakistan against The British Empire, Congress and Hindus for an independent homeland. Dr Abrar Zahoor Bhatti from the University of Sargodha narrated how Radcliff had written a letter to his stepson, stating how the 150 years of the empire were about to end. Another historical account was presented by Waqar Ashgar Perooz, who termed the independence of Pakistan a blessing, not a miracle. He added that post 1940, the door to independence opened when Quaid-e-Azam took the lead from the platform of Muslim League.
Prof Zahira Batool from Sociology Department, GCUF presented the sociological and economic development account of Pakistan post-independence. The National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research, Islamabad director emphasized the importance of diversification of the society. “It is the only way to unite us when people would start accepting the diversity.” He also shed light on the existing misconceptions regarding partition and discussed the dictum of ‘Unity, Faith and Discipline’ in detail. Anjum James Paul presented his analysis on the inter-faith harmony and how Quaid-e-Azam remained inclusive on the question of minorities.
