[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 120 (Tuesday, August 10, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    IN RECOGNITION OF THE 63RD ANNIVERSARY OF PAKISTAN INDEPENDENCE

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                        HON. GERALD E. CONNOLLY

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, August 10, 2010

  Mr. CONNOLLY of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
the 63rd Anniversary of Pakistan independence. The 11th Congressional 
District of Virginia has benefited from being home to a diverse range 
of ethnic and religious peoples from all over the world. Northern 
Virginia as a whole is strengthened by this diversity. One community I 
wish to recognize today is the Pakistani community, which is an 
integral part of the makeup of Northern Virginia.
  I am honored to represent a district with such diversity and 
prosperity. The Pakistani community has been vital to that success, 
contributing expertise and hard work in some of our fastest growing 
industries. The work ethic displayed is consistent with so many 
immigrant groups who have come before and who have contributed to 
building the United States of America into a great nation. By 
celebrating our respective traditions and heritage, we reaffirm our 
identity as Americans.
  Pakistan Independence Day celebrates the end of British rule in the 
region and the founding of Pakistan as a sovereign nation by Muhammad 
Ali Jinnah. August 14, 1947, is officially recognized as the day that 
Pakistan won independence, and it is celebrated with lights, fireworks, 
and displays of national pride. The Pakistan Festival USA was 
originally held at the Lincoln Memorial in 1987, and has grown into a 
must attend event for the Pakistani community. Pakistan Festival USA 
has since moved to Lorton, VA, in the heart of the 11th Congressional 
District, in order to meet the needs of the growing attendance and 
demand of the Washington area Pakistani community. Today, this is one 
of the largest celebrations in the country celebrating the independence 
of Pakistan and recognizing the contributions of the Pakistani-American 
community.
  Madam Speaker, I ask that my colleagues join me in celebrating the 
63rd Anniversary of Pakistan's Independence, and in recognizing the 
many contributions of Pakistani-Americans to our country and wishing 
them Yaum-e-Azad Mubarak (Happy Independence Day).

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