ACROSS THE BORDER:

Pak-based Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation attends India’s 77th Republic Day Reception

Lahore  January 27, 2026:  Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi, Chairman of the Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan, along with the Foundation’s spokesperson and renowned journalist, Shams-ul-Haq Qazafi, attended the 77th Republic Day reception of India, hosted by the Indian High Commission at the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad.

On this occasion, Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi met with Ms Geetika Srivastava, Charge d’Affaires of the High Commission of India, and conveyed heartfelt congratulations to the people of India on behalf of the people of Pakistan on the celebration of India’s Republic Day.

Speaking on the occasion, Imtiaz Rasheed Qureshi said, “Many things in the world can be changed, but neighbors cannot be replaced. Therefore, it is essential to promote dialogue, friendship, and people-to-people contact instead of hatred and hostility.”

He expressed strong optimism that the year 2026 would mark a new beginning in the restoration of people-to-people relations between Pakistan and India, paving the way for enhanced cultural, social, and economic cooperation. He further stated that the resumption of bilateral trade between the two countries would significantly contribute to regional economic stability and help address major challenges such as poverty and unemployment on both sides of the border.

He emphasized that the prosperity, peace, and development of the people of South Asia are deeply interconnected, and that only through mutual respect, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence can the region move towards sustainable growth and collective progress.

The Bhagat Singh Memorial Foundation Pakistan, he added, has always stood for the values of peace, harmony, and cross-border friendship, and will continue to play its role in promoting goodwill and understanding between the two neighbouring nations.

Concluding his remarks, he said, “The politics of hatred has brought nothing but losses to our region. It is time to embrace the politics of peace, trade, and people-to-people engagement so that future generations may inherit a peaceful, stable, and prosperous South Asia.”