Pak-based foundation celebrates 117th birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh
Call to Honor Bhagat Singh with Bharat Ratna and Nishan-e-Pakistan
Ferozepur, September 28, 2024: The Pakistan-based Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation celebrated the 117th birth anniversary of Shaheed Bhagat Singh - born on 28 September 1907 at village Banga now in Pakistan and also called upon the governments of both India and Pakistan to recognize the national hero Bhagat Singh by awarding him India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, as well as Pakistan's prestigious Civil Award, Nishan-e-Pakistan. In addition, Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi, Chairman, Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation, also urged the issuance of postage stamps bearing Bhagat Singh's name and the renaming of a highway in his honour.-
Speaking at a ceremony attended by prominent figures such as Mian Ghulamullah Joya, member of the Supreme Court Bar Executive Committee, and social leaders Dr Shahid Naseer, Dr Ali Mian Jan, and Supreme Court advocates Zubair Ahmad Farooq, Malik Asif Niswana, and Hamudur Rahman Awan, Qureshi, emphasized the enduring legacy of Bhagat Singh.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan Head, Advocate Imtiaz Rashid Qureshi, paid rich tributes to the independence hero who was hanged along with his comrades Raj Guru and Sukh Dev by the British in 1931. His courage and spirit of sacrifice in the face of likely death and his idealism made him one of the most popular icons of the freedom movement.
Qureshi highlighted that Bhagat Singh, born in Pakistan and executed on March 23, 1931, remains a symbol of bravery and sacrifice. He raised concerns about the judicial process that led to Bhagat Singh's execution, revealing that the black warrant was issued on March 24, a day after the execution. He questioned how the registrar of the Lahore High Court had the authority to issue the black warrant and called for a retrial, stating that the legal procedures were not properly followed in Bhagat Singh’s case.
Added here, The foundation already has filed two petitions in the Lahore high court about terming Bhagat Singh as innocent of the killing of assistant superintendent of police J P Saunders in 1928, as his name has not been mentioned in the FIR registered at Anarkali Bazaar police station. Another petition has been filed to rename the Shadman Chowk in Lahore as Bhagat Singh Chowk.
The event concluded with the cutting of a cake in celebration of Bhagat Singh's birthday, honouring his memory as a hero of the subcontinent.