TORONTO:India and Canada have long standing and positive bilateral relations based on mutual interests, Prime Minister Stephen Harper has said and lauded the contributions of Indo-Canadians to the prosperity of his country."Our strong and dynamic relationship is rooted in deep people-to-people ties," Harper said in a statement read by Bal Gosal , Minister of Sport, at a reception hosted by the Indian Consulate in Toronto to commemorate 68th Independence Day of India.Harper praised India and said both countries have long standing and positive bilateral relations based on mutual interests."India is one of Canada's largest trading partners, the second-largest source of international students in Canada, with new admissions continuing to increase every year, and our third-largest source country of immigrants."Commending the contributions made by Indo-Canadians, Harper said, "Canadians of Indian descent contribute greatly to the prosperity, culture and social fabric of the country, and have been instrumental in fostering closer ties between Canada and India. On behalf of all Canadians, I wish all those celebrating today a happy and festive Independence Day."Gosal said, "Canada is committed to strengthen economic and cultural ties between the two countries. We have a unique opportunity to take bilateral relations to a new level with the election of Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he said.The Minister said that the Bollywood would soon start production of Indian films in Canada as a result of an agreement signed between the two countries to promote Bollywood.Describing India as a land of opportunity, Consul General Akhilesh Mishra said that India was going through a profound socio-economic transformation.Earlier in the day, Mishra hoisted the Indian national flag at the Indian Consulate and read out President Pranab Mukherjee's address to the nationSecurity has been tightened across the capital amid fears of unrest in a country with a long history of chaotic politics and military coups. Authorities set up shipping containers to block traffic and cut off cellphone service in some areas.Police estimate some 60,000 people were taking part in the rallies.The protests were festive despite the rain, with demonstrators waving national and party flags and dancing to drum beats and patriotic songs. Women supporters of Qadri, wearing Islamic headscarves, lined the roads and waved at his convoy as it entered the city.A spokesman for Qadri, Shahid Mursaleen, said the cleric would also deliver a speech Saturday to call for Sharif's removal and immediate arrest.Sharif says he was ready to meet with his opponents but has given no indication that he would step down. His critics accuse him of vote fraud during the election that brought him to power last year.Sharif's spokesman, Pervaiz Rashid, condemned the ``irresponsible behavior and actions'' of his opponents.``Pakistan is not a banana republic, where a few thousand people come and seek the resignation of the country's prime minister,'' he told a local news channel.On Friday, as the march led by Khan passed through the city of Gujranwala, supporters of Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League-N hurled stones at the convoy, said Khan, who was unharmed.PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah told the Dawn news channel that both sides threw stones at each other.Mohammed Azeem, a police officer in Gujranwala, about 40 miles (70 kilometers) from Lahore, said some 200 ruling party supporters clashed with Khan's protesters but that ``the situation is under control.''Both Khan and Qadri have vowed to bring 1 million followers into the streets of Islamabad, a city of roughly 1.7 million inhabitants.Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday apologized for the city's paralysis, insisting the measures were for the residents' own safety and warning that demonstrators would face an ``an iron hand'' if they try to disrupt law and order.The protests represent the toughest challenge yet for Sharif, who won a landslide election victory in May 2013. Khan, who led Pakistan to victory in the 1992 cricket World Cup, heads the third largest party in parliament.Pakistan, a nuclear-armed country of 180 million people, has largely been ruled by military dictators since it was carved out of India in 1947. Last year's election marked the first time that one elected civilian government had handed over power to another.The army still wields great influence in Pakistan, which is battling several militant groups, but has not taken sides in the protests. There are fears, however, that political unrest could prompt the military to intervene.