About 50 Sudburians with Pakistani roots gathered Monday morning for a celebration of the 70th anniversary of Pakistan's independence.
The Pakistan Canada Cultural Society of Sudbury marked Pakistan's Independence Day with a flag-raising at the James Jerome Sports Complex.
Deputy Mayor Joscelyne Landry-Altmann also read a proclamation declaring Aug. 14 as Pakistan Independence Day in Greater Sudbury.
Pakistan Independence Day, observed annually on Aug. 14, commemorates the day when Pakistan achieved independence and was declared a sovereign nation following the end of the British Raj (rule) in 1947.
Pakistan is unique among Muslim countries in that it is the only country to have been created in the name of Islam.
As a result of the Pakistan Movement led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the subcontinent's struggle for independence, Pakistan was created as an independent homeland for Indian Muslims.
The president of the Pakistan Canada Cultural Society of Sudbury, 89-year-old Qazi Haque, said he moved to Pakistan from India with his family following the country's formation.
Then, in 2005, he moved to Canada, and is now a citizen — all of his children were educated in Canada and the U.S., hence his decision to move here.
Haque, who gave a speech at the event about the history of Pakistan since independence, said the country has faced its share of difficulties.
That includes conflicts with India and its participation in the recent U.S.-led war on terror. The post-independence history of Pakistan has been characterised by periods of military rule, and since 2008 a transition to democracy.
Haque has hope the country is on its way to greatness. “We expect the country may, in the not too distant future, develop into a progressive and economically sound entity,” he said.
Aymen Saquib, 17, was among those who attended the Pakistan Independence Day celebration.
The teen said she was born in Canada, but her parents are both from Pakistan, and she's visited the country a few times herself.
“It's a way for us to show our pride of our country, and it being the 70th year, it's kind of special for us, because it's marking another milestone for the country,” she said.
