NEW YORK CITY: An avenue in the New York’s Brooklyn borough has been named after Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. The decision was announced by Pakistani-American Youth Organisation (PAYO) on the occasion of the Quaid’s birthday on December 25.
The name of the Avenue will be “Mohammad Ali Jinnah Way” and the official ceremony of inauguration is yet to be expected in the next month.
President of the PAYO Waqil Ahmed said that the change was implemented through a resolution and part of the Coney Island where Pak-American community is in majority is named after founding father of Pakistan.
The resolution, tabled by a city council member Jumaane Williams from Brooklyn, was adopted by a majority vote. “We are delighted over the council’s decision, which meets our long-standing demand,” said Ahmed.
It is a gift to the Pakistani-American community here as well as to the people of Pakistan, he added.
He elaborated that PAYO members had worked for years for official recognition of the Pakistani community as the area around Coney Island Avenue is informally known as ‘Little Pakistan’.
“We are overjoyed that our efforts succeeded,” he said, explaining the strenuous procedures PAYO members had to undergo.
