Rich tributes to the Father of the Nation

Transcription

1 Rich tributes to the Father of the Nation Quaid s Bust unveiled at the British Museum; installed at the Lincoln s Inn The High Commission for Pakistan, London paid rich tributes to the Father of the Nation, Quaid -i- Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah by installing his Bust at his alma mater, the prestigious Lincoln s Inn. The Bust was unveiled at the historic British Museum in a dignified ceremony on 28 November This was the grand finale of the year-long celebrations organized by the Pakistan High Commission London to mark the 70th Independence Anniversary of Pakistan. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan who was the Chief Guest at the ceremony, unveiled the Bust at the China & South Asia Gallery of the British Museum. A large number of people from all walks of life were in attendance on this occasion. In his welcome remarks, the High Commissioner said: The installation of the Quaid s Bust at his Alma Mater Lincoln s Inn Library will be rejoiced by the Pakistanis and provide impetus for the fast growing Pakistan UK multi-dimensional relations. Speaking about the Quiad, the High Commissioner stated: A strong willed Jinnah became a beacon of hope and courage, and provided voice to millions of the Muslims of South Asia. To describe the towering personality of the Father of Nation who was far ahead of his time, I wish to quote Professor Stanley Wolpert, a leading American historian, author and the Quaid s biographer, who wrote: Few individuals significantly alter the course of history; fewer still modify the map of the world. Hardly, anyone can be credited with creating a nation state Mohammad Ali Jinnah did all three. Speaking on the occasion, the Mayor of London said: I m proud to be part of this event to honour the great Muhammad Ali Jinnah, particularly as someone of Pakistani heritage. Muhammad Ali Jinnah is a pivotal figure in history but is also still an inspiration to us today not just to Pakistanis, but to millions around the world. As a champion of democracy, women s rights and religious freedom, Muhammad Ali Jinnah will always be someone who millions admire. I look forward to visiting Karachi, the city where he was born, during my first official visit as Mayor of London to Pakistan. My ambition is to strengthen the ties between London and Pakistan, to share the message that London is open and to encourage more Pakistanis to follow in Muhammad Ali Jinnah s footsteps by visiting, studying and working in our great city. The internationally acclaimed British sculptor, Philip Jackson sculpted the Bust. On 29 November 2017, the High Commissioner installed the Bust at the Lincoln s Inn Library in a small ceremony. Those who attended the installation ceremony included: The Rt Hon Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Treasurer of Lincoln s Inn; Sir Anwar Pervez of Bestway Group; Sir William Blackburne, former Treasurer of the Lincoln s Inn; Baroness Sayeeda Warsi; Rehman Chishti MP; Barrister Yasmin Qureshi MP; Barrister Sibghatullah Qadri QC; Asif Rangoonwala and the sculptor of the Bust, Philip Jackson.

2 Balochistan is heart of Pakistan, says Speaker Balochistan Assembly Balochistan is the heart of Pakistan and people of Balochistan are proud Pakistanis. This was stated by Ms Rahila Hameed Khan Durrani, Speaker Balochistan Assembly at a dinner reception organized by the Pakistan High Commission London on 23 November The speaker condemned the anti-pakistan advertisement campaign recently run in London and said that people of Balochistan in no way relate themselves to this malicious campaign. The speaker, who was leading an 11-member delegation comprising cross party Parliamentarians of Balochistan Assembly, said that they were visiting the UK on the invitation of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). The Speaker said that such Parliamentary exchanges effectively help to make the world understand Pakistan s efforts and sacrifices in eliminating terrorism and extremism. The Speaker also appreciated the efforts of the current and previous federal governments for the uplift of Balochistan. She said, contrary to the common perception, Balochistan is making all round progress in infrastructure development and social sector uplift especially education sector which is specifically focused on girls education and women empowerment. Welcoming the Parliamentarians, H. E. Syed Ibne Abbas, the High Commissioner said that Balochistan is on the path of development especially after the initiation of the CPEC projects in the province. The High Commissioner stated that the whole of Pakistan and the entire region stand to benefit from up-gradation of Gwadar deep sea port. The other members of the delegation included: Dr Abdul Malik MPA; Mrs. Rahat Jamali, Minister for Labour; Dr. Ruqia Hashmi, MPA; Mir Asim Kurd Gailoo MPA; Abdul Rahim Ziaratwal, Education Minister; Maulana Abdul Wasay, Opposition Leader; Mrs Samina Khan MPA; Mrs Shaida Rauf MPA; Dr. Shamsa Ishaq MPA and Manzoor Khan MPA. Members of Pakistani community and the media were also present on the occasion and interacted with the Parliamentarians. President Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Air Chief Marshal hosted at the High Commission H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK hosted a dinner reception in honour of President Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Sardar Masood Khan and Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman NI (M), at the Pakistan High Commission London on 21 November Both had their official visits to the UK. While in the UK, President Sardar Masood Khan interacted with the Brithe highlighted the catastrophic human ish Parliamentarians, Kashmiri comrights violations in the Indian Occupied munity and media. In his interactions, Kashmir (IOK) by the Indian security The President urged the international community to play their role in getting the Kashmiri people their right to self-determination as enshrined in the UN resolutions. The Air Chief Marshal also held professional meetings with the British defence officials and discussed bilateral cooperation. Speaking on the occasion, he commended the successful efforts of Pakistan against extremism and terforces. He also pointed out serious im- rorism. plications for the regional peace due to the unresolved dispute of Kashmir. Two scholarships announced for Pakistani students at Lincoln s Inn Bestway Group and Rangoonwala Foundation to fund the scholarships Two Pakistani students would receive scholarships annually at the prestigious Lincoln s Inn from next year. The Bestway Group and Rangoonwala Foundation will fund one scholarship each. Sir Anwar Pervez and Asif Rangoonwala made the offer on the occasion of installation of the Bust of Quaid-i-Azam at the Lincoln s Inn Library on 29 November H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, the High Commissioner, announced this offer in his address at the installation ceremony. The Rt Hon Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury, Treasurer of the Lincoln s Inn, and other notable personalities on the occasion hailed the scholarship offer saying that that the initiative would further strengthen the ties between Pakistani students and Quaid s alma mater, Lincoln s Inn. The selection of the students will be done by the Lincoln s Inn. The High Commissioner commended the vision of Sir Anwar Pervez and Asif Rangoonwala for investing in the education of Pakistani youth, which would open up new vistas of cooperation and understanding between the two friendly countries.

3 High Commissioner meets with Permanent Secretary for the MOD High Commissioner with Her Majesty the Queen at the British Museum H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK met with Stephen Lovegrove, Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Defence (MOD) in London on 17 November Bilateral relations were discussed during the meeting. H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK exchanging courtesies with Her Majesty the Queen at the opening of China and South Asia gallery of the British Museum on 8 November High Commissioner discusses bilateral trade relations with UK s Minister H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK met with Mr. Greg Hands MP, British Minister of State for Trade Policy on 14 November The meeting was a follow up of the Minister s recent visit to Pakistan. The Minister described his visit quite productive. He appreciated Pakistan s economic growth rate and rising middle class. The Minister further said that the British businesses are performing exceptionally well in Pakistan. He also expressed special interest of UK in the execution of CPEC project. On this occasion, the High Commissioner welcomed a series of high level visits from UK to Pakistan which has set the tone for strong bilateral economic and commercial relations between the two countries. He appreciated the British Government s commitment to continue market access for the Pakistani products post Brexit on the existing pattern. The High Commissioner informed the Minister about the successful holding of Expo Pakistan at Karachi attended by leading British buyers/businessmen. Pakistan exports to the UK market are experiencing robust growth. Last year Pakistan exports to the British market grew by 8% whereas during the first 8 months of current calendar year the exports grew by 9%. The Prince s School of Traditional Arts delivering workshops in Karachi On 23 October through 5 November 2017, a team from The Prince s School of Traditional Arts visited Karachi to deliver the first of many practical workshops at the new VM Centre for Traditional Arts. The VMCTA is based on a three-year partnership agreement between the VM Trust for Education and The Prince s School of Traditional Arts. This partnership seeks to nourish and promote Pakistani artistic traditions and cultural heritage through education programmes and exhibitions that celebrate the relevance of traditional arts in contemporary Pakistan. Fourteen taster workshops and two come back looking forward for more programmes and courses in traditional arts. Worth every minute. Learned a lot excellent demonstration of skills and knowledge. Over the next three years, the Prince s School will be sending experts in a variety of traditional arts to Karachi to conduct a variety of courses in ceramics, textiles, decorative painting, and textiles. Eventually, the Centre will offer a one year foundation-level programme. The public lectures introduced over 200 patterns found in the ceramic tiles of next course will take place at the end of participants to manuscript illumina- Sindh. Participant response was enthusi- December and will focus on Kash Kari tion techniques and traditional methods astic: The teachers and their knowledge ceramic techniques. of constructing a selection geometric is so great that anyone would want to

4 Gilgit-Baltistan pavilion attracts large number of tourist at WTM London Tour Packages offer expedition, trekking, jeep safaris, rafting, mountain biking, day hikes and heli safaris Gilgit-Balitistan pavilion attracted a large number of tourists at famous tourism exhibition World Travel Market London. Embellished with the beautiful scenery of mountain peaks and lush green landscape of the region, the G-B pavilion had unique appeal for the tourists. Hafiz Hafeezur Rehman, Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan and H.E Syed Ibne Abbas, the High Commissioner, inaugurated the Gilgit-Baltistan pavilion at Excel London on 6 November To introduce the tourism potential of the Gilgit-Baltistan to the Western world, the Government of Gilgit- Baltistan (G-B) set up the pavilion where the Tourism Departments of Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa showcased the tourism potential of Pakistan. Moreover, a number of tourism companies from G-B introduced their tourist packages. These packages offer various forms of tourism, including expeditions, trekking, jeep safaris, rafting, mountain biking, day hikes and heli safaris. Besides, there are packages for cultural tourism and spiritual tourism. The exhibition continued from 6-8 November World Travel Market London is the leading global event for the travel industry, generating more than 2.8 billion of business contracts between attendees. Over three days, the travel industry comes together as almost 5,000 exhibiting destinations, technology and private sector companies to find and network with 51,000 travel professionals, key industry buyers, journalists, digital influencers, students and tourism Ministers. Expo Pakistan held at Karachi, UK businesses participate The four-day Expo Pakistan held at Karachi Expo Centre from 9-12 November As many as 39 leading buyers of textile and food sectors from across the UK participated in Expo to explore business opportunities in Pakistan. These sectors were identified in view of their enormous potential which could be leveraged to increase our market share. Targeted and focused efforts were made by Ministry of Commerce and Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP), to encourage the producers of high quality products to increase Pakistan exports. The Commercial Wings of the High Commission in London and Manchester worked closely with the UK business companies to take them to the Expo. Pakistan Exports to the British mar- ket witnessed a robust growth of 8% in During the first 8 months of the current calendar year, Pakistan exports have again increased by 9% as compared to the corresponding period last year. The main driver of growth is textile products, and food items i.e. fish, vegetables, fruits, etc. Events like Expo Pakistan help strengthen the commercial ties between Pakistan and the rest of the participating countries by attracting the foreign buyers globally. First held in 2005, the success of last edition of Expo Pakistan was manifested by the participation of a large number of local and foreign buyers who transacted business deals worth more than US$ 1.2 Billion. Expo Pakistan is the biggest trade event in Pakistan, showcasing the largest collection of Pakistan s export merchandise and services. Foreign exhibitors from neighboring countries also use this platform to launch their products. Held annually, the four-day Expo Pakistan has become the primary sourcing point for a large number of businesses from around the globe, giving them a head start on buying and ordering for coming seasons. High Commissioner hosts lunch for senior FCO officials H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK hosted a lunch to bid farewell to Mr. Owen Jenkins, UK s outgoing Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and to welcome his successor Mr. Gareth Bayley, at Pakistan High Commission, London on 08 November The High Commissioner commended the services of Mr. Owen Jenkins for promoting bilateral relations and hoped that Mr. Gareth Bayley would further strengthen these ties. Other officials of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) were also present on the occasion.

5 Rich Pakistani culture showcased at The Commonwealth Fair Spectacular Pakistani stalls at the annual fair of Commonwealth Countries League (CCL), turned out to be a great attraction for the visitors. The stalls showcased Pakistan s cultural richness and diversity through traditional handicrafts, clothes, souvenirs and exotic cuisine. Pakistani cuisine, especially, the rice dish Biryani, with its exquisite taste, aroma and presentation, was a culinary delight for the food lovers. Begum High Commissioner, Mrs Sadaf Abbas, along with the ladies of the High Commission introduced the visitors to the beautiful handicrafts made by the Pakistani women. Speaking on the occasion, Begum High Commissioner said: The CCL fair is an annual feature on our list of events. The proceeds of the Pakistani stalls are donated to the Commonwealth Girls Education Fund (CGEF). The Fund equips the disadvantaged girls with education to bring about positive change in the society. H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, the High Commissioner visited the Pakistani stalls and appreciated the efforts of the ladies of the High Commission for actively pro- moting Pakistan s culture and traditional The Fair was held at Kensington Town products through participation in in- Hall, London on 11 November ternational fairs. On this occasion, he The occasion provided the visitors said: We have excellent relations with with a great experience of cultures of the Commonwealth, and participation the Commonwealth countries. in such events would further cement these relations. Philanthropic work of Akhuwat Akhuwat reached a historic mark of setting up nearly 800 branches all over Pakistan and has provided interest-free loans to 2.3 million underserved families throughout Pakistan, making it the largest micro-lending organisation in the country. Continuing the journey of alleviating social marginalization, an independent division, Akhuwat Education Services (AES) was setup to promote education. Akhuwat s Founder, Amjad Saqib, firmly believes that Education is a vital component of bringing change to any society. Educating the masses will allow us to change the perceptions and to alter the paradigm. AES has provided free quality education to 500 students from underprivileged backgrounds. Their aim is to make education accessible to all students and they are doing this by introducing Pakistan s first fee-free University. Akhuwat has been featured in Harvard Business Review and Cambridge Business Journal. Akhuwat UK organised a series of UK-wide roadshows in June to take the message of Mawakhat to UK diaspora communities. Bidding process for Visa Facilitation Services completed at the High Commission The Visa Facilitation Services Selection Committee of the High Commission opened the financial bids from the shortlisted companies for Visa Facilitation Services on 10 November All the bidders brought along their sealed bids which were opened in their presence at the High Commission. The bidding process is now complete and following all legal and codal formalities, the contract will be signed by the High Commission with the lowest bidder. Further details will be shared in due course.

6 The UK Media XI played a friendly cricket match Cricket for Peace in Miranshah, North Waziristan against Pak XI on 21 September Led by famous journalist and cricket writer Peter Oborne, the British side comprised journalists, writers, lawyers, businessmen, academics and a British MP, whereas the Pakistani XI, among others, included Inzamam ul Haq, Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Junaid Khan, Umer Gul and Mushtaq Ahmed. The match was played at the picturesque Younis Khan Stadium in Miranshah. A crowd of more than 20,000 people mainly youth enjoyed the T20 match. Pakistan won the match by 133 runs. Peter Oborne, UK Media XI skipper, paid tribute to the peace-loving people of Pakistan and hailed the country for welcoming him and his team. He also called upon the international teams to visit Pakistan. Director General of ISPR Major General Asif Ghafoor, who was in attendance at the stadium, said the match would prove to the world that Pakistan is a peaceful country. Governor Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Iqbal Zafar Jhagra was the chief guest at the occasion. Corps Commander Peshawar Nazir Ahmed Butt also watched the match.

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