Assembly Resolution No. 988

BY: M. of A. Rajkumar

MEMORIALIZING Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim
August 14, 2024, as Pakistan Independence Day in the
State of New York

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize and
pay just tribute to the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups which
comprise and contribute to the richness and diversity of the community
of the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to memorialize
Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim August 14, 2024, as Pakistan
Independence Day in the State of New York; and

WHEREAS, The Islamic Republic of Pakistan is an ally of this great
State and Nation, sharing deep economic, social, and cultural ties; and

WHEREAS, August 14 is a national holiday in Pakistan, commemorating
the day in 1947 when British Viceroy and Governor-General of India Louis
Mountbatten ceremonially transferred power to Muhammad Ali Jinnah,
ending centuries of British rule; and

WHEREAS, The transfer of sovereignty was the culmination of a
decades-long Pakistan Movement for independence, with one of its most
famed leaders being Jinnah, who is regarded as the Founder of Pakistan;
and

WHEREAS, The Pakistan Movement had a profound impact around the
world, inspiring multiple other independence movements; and

WHEREAS, New York City has a deep history of celebrating Pakistan's
independence, hosting the annual Pakistan Independence Day Parade and
Festival, the largest celebration of its kind in North America, along
with multiple other celebrations across the city; and

WHEREAS, The United States is home to the largest Pakistani diaspora
population in the Western Hemisphere, with over half a million people of
Pakistani descent; and

WHEREAS, Pakistanis have a long history in America, beginning in the
nineteenth century with people coming in large numbers from what is now
Pakistan to work as laborers, followed by another major wave of
immigration starting in the 1960s, when the United States reformed
immigration policy; and

WHEREAS, Pakistani Americans have made immeasurable contributions to
the arts, the STEM fields, business, philanthropy, academics, defense,
sports, religion, and government; and

WHEREAS, There is a strong desire to foster a mutually beneficial,
bilateral relationship between New York State and Pakistan; and

WHEREAS, Pakistani Americans contribute to all facets of life in New
York City, home to about 50,000 people of Pakistani descent, living
predominantly in Brooklyn and Queens; and

WHEREAS, Pakistani American New Yorkers have left an indelible
impression on their city, having increased in number by about 70 percent
in the last decade, with the Pakistani national language of Urdu being
one of the most commonly-spoken in the city; and

WHEREAS, The Pakistani American population on Long Island has also
increased exponentially over the last decade; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is pleased to have this opportunity
to recognize such events of significance which foster ethnic pride and
exemplify the cultural diversity that represents and strengthens the
fabric of the people and the State of New York; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
memorialize Governor Kathy Hochul to proclaim August 14, 2024, as
Pakistan Independence Day in the State of New York; and be it further

RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the Honorable Kathy Hochul, Governor of the State of New
York; Consul General of Pakistan, and various Pakistani organizations in
the State of New York.