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Alec Mubani and Columbus Mabika
PAKISTAN has hailed President Mugabe as a renowned African liberation fighter and champion of black economic empowerment.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark Pakistan’s 75th National Day in Harare on Monday, Pakistan Ambassador to Zimbabwe Mr Asaf Khan said his country was impressed by President Mugabe’s visionary leadership.

“Our leadership and the people of Pakistan are greatly impressed by the vision of the President to empower, develop and provide social justice to the indigenous people of this great country,” he said.

“Pakistan enjoys cordial relations with Zimbabwe dating back to the time of the liberation struggle against the minority Rhodesian regime.”

President Mugabe has been hailed globally for distributing land to thousands of landless black Zimbabweans and for taking bold steps to empower them in other economic sectors.

The Pakistan Day is celebrated on March 23 every year to mark the adoption of a resolution that demanded the establishment of a separate homeland for the Muslims of British India on the same day in 1940.

The resolution was passed in a meeting of the All-India Muslim League in the city of Lahore.

Zimbabwe and Pakistan enjoy good relations dating back to the pre-independence era.

Soon after independence in 1980, the two countries were involved in military and defence co-operation.

This agreement was renewed in 2007 when Pakistan sent several senior military experts to support the Zimbabwe Defence Forces.