The New York City Council has designated part of Coney Island Avenue, a major traffic route, in Brooklyn after Pakistan’s founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
The Pakistani community welcomed the announcement by Pakistani-American Youth Organization (PAYO), which said a resolution was adopted this week, coinciding with Quaid-e-Azam’s birthday.
The part of the avenue – is in the area considered a center of Pakistani-American community, and it will be known as “Mohammad Ali Jinnah Way.”
Waqil Ahmad, the PAYO President, revealed that the resolution was tabled by Jumaane Williams, a city council member from Brooklyn, and it passed with a majority vote.
“We are delighted over the council’s decision, which meets our long-standing demand,” he said.
“It is a gift to the Pakistani-American community here as well as to the people of Pakistan.”
PAYO members — Jawad Shabbir, Hamayun Riaz, Adeelk Rana, and Zaigum Abbas also expressed delight at naming the highway after Pakistan’s founder,
The name “Mohammad Ali Jinnah Way” will formally be inaugurated at a ceremony.
Iftikhar Ali is a veteran Pakistani journalist, former president of UN Correspondents Association, and a recipient of the Pride of Performance civil award
