The Pakistani community in Qatar yesterday celebrated Independence Day with zeal and zest in different gatherings and arrangements.
A unique way of celebrating Independence Day was arranged by a group of young Pakistani expatriates as they showcased their sport cars and heavy bikes all painted in green and white – the colours of Pakistan’s national flag.
Qatar Pakistani Bikers, a group of young Pakistanis formed primarily to show their love for sport cars and heavy bikes, organised the event at Qatar Sports Club (QSC) on Wednesday evening.
The event turned into a community gathering that celebrated Independence Day by showcasing painted cars and bikes besides playing national songs.
Syed Ahsan Raza Shah, ambassador of Pakistan to Qatar, attended the event as the chief guest. He was flanked by Hafiz Junaid Sial, Community Welfare Attache’ and other officials of the embassy. The prominent among community leaders were namely, Chaudhry Muhammad Ajmal, Shahzad Mughal, Rashid Butt, Janan Bangash and Chaudhry Muhammad Tahir.
As far as the organisers were concerned, Qatar Pakistani Bikers group is spearheaded by four Mughal brothers – Omran Mughal, Sulaiman Mughal, Saud Mughal and Adeel Mughal. Two more active members of the group are Shahid Majeed and Abdullah Minhas.
The event started with a reception of 20 bikes and 15 cars – all painted in green and white at QSC. The convoy of the bikers came together and was received with the beats of traditional Punjabi drum (dhol). The young boys danced on the drum beats.
The event started with national anthems of both Pakistan and Qatar. The community representatives made small speeches and highlighted the significance of the Independence Day. A cake cutting ceremony was also organised as the gathering enjoyed different national songs. The event continued for over two hours and the people in attendance were treated with delicious Pakistani deserts.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Syed Ahsan Raza Shah appreciated the enthusiasm exhibited by the young Pakistani expatriates on the Independence Day. He also praised the efforts of youth in the development of Pakistan. “Youth are the asset of any nation and play a vital role in the progress of their nation. Pakistani youth living in Qatar have contributed immensely in bringing good name to their country.”
The ambassador further highlighted the role played by young workers working in different parts of the world, especially Qatar. “The embassy will continue with its efforts to create better working opportunities for the young workers. If a Pakistani got some talent of any sort, he or she should come forward and contact the embassy. We will do our utmost and provide proper opportunity to such people to further nourish their talent.” The ambassador was delighted to see the enthusiasm in the youth living in Qatar and praised their patriotism.
Talking to Community, Omran Mughal said that his group had regularly been organising Independence Day programmes. “We have intermittently been arranging our car and motorbike shows every year since 2014. We have started using our craze and passion for sport cars and bikes as an expression of our patriotism both towards Pakistan and Qatar.”
He added: “This year our programme got bigger. We invited all the Pakistani community to come to QSC and join us in our Independence Day celebrations. A large number of people gathered in the sports facility where we played different national and patriotic songs. We cut a cake and treated the gathering with delicious Pakistani desserts.
“It was really good to see people from different communities watched the convoy of our bikes with Pakistani flags. It helps us in apprising other peoples about Pakistan and our culture.”
Shahid Majeed, an enthusiastic biker, said: “Our group shows love for biking. On this occasion, we used our bikes and cars to express our love for Pakistan. We think that we should continue to promote patriotism among the Pakistani expatriate community in Qatar.”
ENTHUSIASTIC: Qatar Pakistani Bikers, a group of young Pakistanis formed primarily to show their love for sport cars and heavy bikes, organised the event at Qatar Sports Club (QSC) on Wednesday evening.
