ISLAMABAD: It is the collective responsibility of every Pakistani to work for the country’s progress and prosperity, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said on Thursday.

In a video message, he described Pakistan as a “great nation,” and said its people’s “passion for peace and prosperity” is “eternal.” The message was recorded for Pakistan Day, which will be commemorated on Friday.

Abbasi highlighted the significance of national unity, saying it could turn “the country into a bastion of peace and progress.”

Pakistan Day is observed annually on March 23 to celebrate the passage of a resolution in 1940 in which the Muslims of the subcontinent demanded a separate state where they could freely practice their faith and embrace their own way of life.