A nation on the rise

As Pakistan celebrates its 70 years of Independence, Pakistanis living inside the country and across the world are cheering with a renewed sense of patriotism. August 14th is an important day in our national calendar as this day reminds us of the tremendous sacrifices of our founding fathers who struggled and toiled to carve out a separate homeland for the Muslims of South Asia. This is also a day of reflection as we take stock of how close we have come towards building a progressive, prosperous and stable Pakistan that was envisioned by Father of the Nation, Quaid-e-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah. He was indeed a visionary, who left us with a clear roadmap of how he visualised Pakistan. He gave us the principles of 'Unity, Faith and Discipline', which form the basis of our national ethos. So, on this day we also pay tribute to the men and women who continue their efforts to move progressively towards the ideal of  'Jinnah's Pakistan'.
Today we feel proud to see that in line with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam, and despite various challenges along the way, Pakistan has decidedly established itself as a stable and vibrant democracy, where the people are fully empowered to choose their own leaders, and where the rule of law is supreme. This is evident from the amicable manner in which we saw the smooth transition of power on more than one occasions within the framework of the constitution and democratic norms. This speaks volumes about the resilience of our nation.
The government has evolved and successfully executed a comprehensive strategy aimed at rooting out extremism, and improving the law and order situation so that the country's economy can turnaround. The tremendous support and hard work of our valiant armed forces, paramilitary and the police in the execution of the government policy has undoubtedly broken the back of the extremists, and restored stability. The Pakistan of 2017 is more secure, politically more stable, and economically more vibrant.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqqan Abassi has vowed to revive the country's economy, restore investor confidence and expand trade both regionally and internationally. It is also a fact that our foreign exchange reserves stand at the highest levels in history and our stock exchange has broken all previous records due to the growing interest and confidence of local, regional and international investors.    
The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has emerged as a mega-project, which will connect the Gawadar Port to China through a network of roads and trains. This would provide the much needed access to China, boost trade and communication between the two countries, and also enable Beijing to transport gas, oil and other products to the world at large through the state-of-the-art port that is being built in Gawadar. The estimated $46 billion dollar investment coming from China will open the doors to abundant opportunities for Pakistan, create thousands of jobs, and boost economy.   
We feel proud that we are moving closer to Jinnah's Pakistan, as we establish ourselves as a stable democracy that empowers people through education, employment and entrepreneurship. Our economy is showing visible changes of improvement, and our foreign policy remains focused in building goodwill, friendship and supporting all international and regional efforts to build peace, stability and human development.  
Pakistan and the UAE share brotherly and fraternal relations that have their foundations firmly rooted in history. We share the same faith, celebrate the same festivals and adhere to the same social and cultural values. More than a million Pakistanis living in the UAE serve as a bridge that connects our nations.
We feel proud that we are moving closer to Jinnah's Pakistan, as we establish ourselves as a stable democracy that empowers people through education, employment and entrepreneurship. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has emerged as a mega-project, which will connect the Gawadar Port to China through a network of roads and trains.