By Syed Mussarat Khalil

JEDDAH — The Independence Day of Pakistan was celebrated in Jeddah with traditional zeal and fervor. A simple and graceful flag-hoisting ceremony was held Saturday at the Pakistan Consulate General Jeddah.

According to the information wing of Consulate General of Pakistan Jeddah, Consul General Khalid Majid, in his remarks, highlighted the significance of the day.

He underlined Pakistan’s regional and global importance by virtue of its history, geo-strategic location, rich human and natural resources.

He underscored that the government of Pakistan is aware of the current challenges to the country and has adopted a comprehensive set of economic and structural reforms to lay the foundation of sustainable socio-economic development.

The Consul General highlighted Pakistan’s strong relations with the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and praised the contribution of the Pakistani community in further strengthening Saudi-Pak relations.

Special messages of Saudi veteran diplomat and scholar Dr. Ali Al Ghamdi and former Defense Advisor at the Embassy of KSA at Islamabad Abdullah Bin Saeed Al-Ghamdi were also screened. The event concluded with a cake-cutting ceremony and special prayer for peace and prosperity of Pakistan.

In observance of local restrictions relating to social distancing due to the COVID-19 situation, the level of participation was kept to the permissible limit.