ACROSS BORDER : 2025: - A new dawn for Indo-Pak ties
Qureshi, Chairman Pak-based Bhagat Singh Foundation attends Republic Day at Indian High Commission, Islamabad
HARISH MONGA
Ferozepur/Islamabad, January 27, 2025: Pakistan’s Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Chairman, Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi, expressed hope for strengthened ties between India and Pakistan, declaring 2025 as the "Year of Indo-Pak Friendship."
Qureshi shared these sentiments after attending the 76th Republic Day celebrations of India, hosted by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. The event was attended on a formal invitation extended by Geetika Srivastava, Chargé d'Affaires at the Indian High Commission.
Congratulating the people of India on Republic Day, Qureshi conveyed well wishes on behalf of the people of Pakistan. He highlighted his vision for 2025 as a year of strengthened ties between the two nations. "Poverty will be eradicated, unemployment will end, and prosperity will prevail in both countries," he stated.
Geetika Srivastava, speaking at the event, reciprocated the goodwill by congratulating the people of Pakistan on behalf of the people of India.
The family of Qureshi migrated from Sukhera Basti in Abohar to West Punjab due to partition in August 1947. He is advocating developing love and respect for Bhagat Singh and his comrades who fought for freedom in Lahore under the banner of Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation, Lahore. Recalling the partition, Qureshi remarked that despite historical differences, efforts should be made to foster friendship, mutual respect, and prosperity between the two nations.
Qureshi emphasized the need to restore transport links, including buses, trains, and air services, between the two countries. He called for simplifying the visa process to facilitate visits to shrines and religious sites, underlining the importance of strengthening people-to-people connections.
He also stressed that resuming trade between the two nations would pave the way for tackling shared challenges like poverty and unemployment, ushering in a new era of regional cooperation and development.