Pakistani Ambassador Shahzad Ahmad (third left), HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada and Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah al-Thani cutting a cake.
By Umer Nangiana/Stafff Reporter
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar Shahzad Ahmad hosted dignitaries from Qatar, members of diplomatic missions and prominent members of Pakistan community at a reception to commemorate 75th anniversary of the National Day of Pakistan at the Diplomatic Club on Sunday.
The ambassador welcomed the guests of honour HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada; Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs HE Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi; Chief of Protocol Mohamed Ibrahim Yusuf al-Fakhroo; and Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah al-Thani besides other dignitaries and diplomats from different countries including India and Bangladesh.
The Pakistani envoy said the National Day (March 23) this year had a special significance for the relations between Pakistan and Qatar. “It saw a historic visit of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to Islamabad,” the ambassador said.
Describing the significance of HH the Emir’s visit to Pakistan, the ambassador quoted from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s speech with which he had greeted HH the Emir. “I was waiting for your highness’s visit to Pakistan, like a brother waits for a brother’”
“This gesture speaks volumes about the brotherly ties between Qatar and Pakistan. In the coming years, we will continue to strengthen the bonds between our two countries,” the ambassador said before inviting the guests for a cake-cutting ceremony.
The ceremony began with the playing of national anthems of Qatar and Pakistan. The ambassador also highlighted the significance of March 23 for Pakistan.
“I thank you all for joining us to celebrate Pakistan’s National Day. On the 23rd of March 1940, the Muslim League adopted a historic resolution in Lahore (Pakistan) demanding a separate homeland for the Muslims of the sub-continent,” he said.
“This resolution resulted in a political movement and on 14 August 1947, Pakistan emerged.”
The Pakistani ambassador thanked HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, HE Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani besides the government and the people of Qatar for the warm welcome and support they have shown to him since his arrival and to the 100,000-plus Pakistani nationals living in Qatar.
He also thanked the sponsors for the event who he said had close links with Pakistan including Ooredoo, Al Faisal Holdings, Um Haish, Al Jazeera Land, Descon Engineering and Qatar Airways.
The ambassador thanked the staff of the Diplomatic Club for putting the event together. The guests were then invited to a dinner of specially-prepared traditional Pakistani dishes.
A slideshow of pictures showing Pakistan’s rich cultural heritage as well as ones from HH the Emir’s recent visit to Pakistan was played throughout the more than two-hour-long ceremony and dinner reception.
