Albany, New York – Assemblyman David I. Weprin joined members of the American Pakistani Advocacy Group (APAG) to announce the unanimous adoption of Assembly Resolution No. 201 proclaiming March 23, 2019 as Pakistan Day in the State of New York. Weprin’s resolution recognizes the cultural diversity and strength of the nearly 200,000 Pakistani-Americans in New York City.

A national holiday in Pakistan, Pakistan Day commemorates the adoption of the Pakistan Resolution by the Muslim League on March 23, 1940, calling for the independence of Muslim majority provinces in British controlled territories on the Indian subcontinent; as well as the founding of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on March 23, 1956. Each year the holiday is celebrated with parades in Pakistan’s Capital of Islamabad, a Presidential awards ceremony, and memorials in honor of Muhammad Iqbal, regarded as the progenitor of the Pakistan Movement and Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan.

The resolution acknowledges the various contributions of the Pakistani-American community in New York State and recognizes various cultures of people who add to the overall diversity of our State

“By recognizing March 23^rd as Pakistan Day we will pay tribute to not only the diversity of my district but the diversity of our great state. It important that we are able to come together in this divided time and overcome the barriers to recognizing each other as fellow New Yorkers and fellow Americans,” said Assemblymember David Weprin. “I want to thank the members of the Assembly and the American Pakistani Advocacy Group for their support in helping achieve this historic milestone.”

“We stand at a crossroads in our lifetime in which we can become victims to bigotry and allow hatred to consume us or we can choose to engage in a discourse that seeks to educate one another about each other’s beautiful cultures,” said American Pakistani Advocacy Group President Ali Rashid. “The Pakistani American community seeks to uplift and honor the principles of democracy, freedom, and hard work—characteristics that make us unconditionally American. With the help of Assemblymen David Weprin, American Pakistan Advocacy Group (APAG) has sought to implement March 23rd a “Pakistan Day” to honor the hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis that reside in New York State by allowing them to share their culture with it gives us a grander perspective of life and more importantly what it means to be human.”