Like Pakistan and elsewhere in the world, Pakistan Day was celebrated with fervour and enthusiasm in the capital Ottawa and other major cities of Canada, including Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. The highlight was the flag hoisting ceremony held at the historical City Hall in Ottawa where High Commissioner Zaheer A. Janjua hoisted the National Flag to the tune of the national anthem. A large number of Pakistanis and Canadians of Pakistani origin, including Canadian parliamentarians of Pakistani origin Senator Salma Attaullah Jan, MP Salma Zahid, MP Iqra Khalid, MP Yasir Naqvi, MP Paul Chiang and MP Samir Zuberi were present. Messages of the President and the Prime Minister of Pakistan were also read out. Speaking on the occasion, High Commissioner Zaheer Janjua highlighted the significance of the Pakistan Day and the role of our founding fathers in the freedom movement. He said Pakistan and Canada enjoy long-lasting friendships based on mutual trust and cooperation. Canada was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan and establish diplomatic relations with us. Last year, we celebrated the 75th birthday of Pakistan as well as the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations with Canada. The High Commissioner also paid tribute to what he called a very dynamic and vibrant Pakistani diaspora spread across Canada for serving as a bridge between the two countries and promoting Pakistan through various cultural activities, fairs, food festivals, exhibitions and musical performances.
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