UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan has underscored the importance of Nowruz, which heralds the onset of the festive spring season, saying the event also symbolizes rebirth and the link between humans and nature.
“In observing Nowruz International Day,” Ambassador Munir Akram said, “we also reaffirm our commitment to the principles of the UN Charter”, which is aimed at promoting peace, international cooperation and harmony.
The Pakistan envoy, who was participating in the virtual celebrations of the Day, said Nowruz is a time of renewal and regeneration.
“It is the spirit we need to emerge from suffering caused by the Covid 19 pandemic,” he said, adding, “It rekindles confidence that we will, together, defeat the virus and recover better, stronger and more prosperous.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the President of the General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, made opening remarks at the event followed by the ambassadors of the countries sponsoring the ceremony –Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
In his remarks, Ambassador Akram said Nowruz is a heritage that has been warmly embraced by the people of Pakistan, pointing out that it is typically celebrated in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, especially near the border with Afghanistan, and across Balochistan, with a large celebration held at Quetta.
“This common heritage is a solid foundation for our friendship and cooperation with all our neighbors in the north and west, reflected in part in the Economic Cooperation Organization ( ECO),” he said
“Nowruz is also a reminder of the shared heritage of the glorious civilizations that spanned the Balkans, the Black Sea, Caspian Sea regions, the Caucasus, and Central and South Asia,” Ambassador Akram said, noting it reflected in the art, music, architecture, literature and customs of the countries of these regions.
Ambassador Akram also spoke about the need to emerge from suffering caused by the coronavirus pandemic, saying, “we will, together, defeat the virus and recover better, stronger and more prosperous.
The Pakistani envoy concluded his remarks with the words of Allama Mohammed Iqbal: “Spring clouds have pitched their tents over mountains and plains,
Look! Flowers are flourishing in gardens and meadows,
The spring wind blows”.
An estimated 300 million people worldwide celebrate Nowruz, which is also inscribed on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
