RECORDER REPORT

LAHORE: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) celebrated Pakistan’s 71st Independence Day by holding a cake-cutting ceremony to mark the 71st anniversary of the country’s establishment as an independent and sovereign nation at FPCCI Regional office Lahore.

Senior Vice President SAARC Chamber of Commerce Iftikhar Ali Malik, Regional Chairman FPCCI Arfan Yousaf, Vice Presidents Ch. Shafique Anjum, Karim Aziz Malik, Shabnam Zafar, Executive Committee members and business leaders attended the ceremony.

The participants commemorated Pakistan’s independence vowing to defend this great nation and its ideology put together by its illustrious founders. The day reminded them of their martyrs, paying tribute to their sacrifices.

Speaking on the occasion, Iftikhar Ali Malik and Arfan Yousaf paid tributes to Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah for his sterling leadership, saying Pakistan was created to ensure social and economic equality for all its citizens.

He called for renewing the pledge to work for those ideals and to come up to the Quaid’s expectations. He also urged the politicians to show unity in their ranks and work for the progress and prosperity of this country. He said the FPCCI would not stay behind and continue to play its role in the promotion of trade and economic activities in the country.

FPCCI Vice President Ch. Shafique Anjum said that the country is full of resources but unfortunately lack of coordination among the various segments of the society, these resources could not be tapped properly. He expressed the optimism that the nation will learn from its past mistakes and will embark on the growth path for the benefit of the downtrodden.