High Commission participates in the London New Year’s Day Parade

The High Commission for Pakistan in London, the only diplomatic Mission to participate in the London New Year’s Day Parade (LNYDP) this year, received thunderous applause from hundreds of thousands of spectators lined up on both sides of the Parade route.

All dressed in vibrant traditional at-tire, the Pakistani Segment featured cus-tomary horse dance, Qawwali, Kalash Valley dance performance, and other regional dances moved rhythmically to

the beats of the dhol (drum) played by famous drummer Rani Taj. Pakistani souvenirs were also distributed to the spectators along the route that cheered the atmosphere of the Parade.

H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, termed High Commission’s participation in LNYDP a huge step towards introducing Paki-stan’s true and positive face to the world. “Today’s showcasing of the cultural di-versity and beauty of Pakistan would

help change perception of our coun-try positively and promote tourism in Pakistan. World has seen the beautiful face of Pakistan today “, stated the High Commissioner.

The Parade, from Green Park to Par-liament Square, was telecast on more than 300 TV channels across the world and millions of spectators watched the event live.

The London New Year’s Day Parade is world’s greatest street spectacular which

makes it a unique occasion for the peo-ple around the world. Various countries, London Boroughs, social and cultural organisations, academic institutions, charities and other groups participate in this event. Londoners wait for this occasion the whole year as it marks the festive start of the New Year.

Speaker Ayaz Sadiq met Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Secretary General Akbar Khan

Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan stressed the in-ternational parliamentary community to actively engage with Pakistan and strengthen its parliamentary institu-tions. He stated this during his meeting with Akbar Khan, Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), who met him in London.

The two sides discussed in detail numerous capacity building proposals for the parliamentarians, as well as the parliamentary staff of not only Pakistan’s legislatures, but of the neighbouring countries as well.

In this regard, it was agreed to hold the overdue CPA Asia Region Confer-

ence, which could not be held since 2012. The idea of holding “CPA Hot Topic Seminars” on issues of concern for Pakistan and organizing Workshops on legislative drafting, E-Parliament, Com-mittee Strengthening and Parliamentary Procedures were also discussed.

The Secretary General commended the Speaker for his vision and eagerness to strengthen the parliamentary insti-tutions in Pakistan.

Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq with HRH Princess Royal and Speaker House of Commons Rt Hon John Bercow at the British Parliament

The Pakistan High Commission London is pleased to announce that in order to facilitate the Senior Citizens/

Separate Counters established for Senior Citizens/Physically Challenged Persons at the High Commission

and its Sub-Missions

Physically Challenged Persons, separate counters have been established for all kinds of Consular Services at the High

Commission and its sub-Missions at Birmingham, Bradford, Glasgow and Manchester. Additionally, Focal Per-

sons have also been designated to deliver these services on priority basis.

The Lord Mayor of London visited Pakistan to strengthen trade links be-tween London, the world’s leading fi-nancial centre, and Pakistan, which has blossoming banking, legal, and services industries.

Alderman Dr Andrew Parmley, the Lord Mayor, met business and govern-ment leaders in Karachi and Islamabad, and discussed how the City of London could work more closely with Pakistan as it develops its international presence in financial and professional services.

The Lord Mayor Parmley met with a number of senior industry figures in Karachi, including representatives from Meezan Bank and the State Bank of Pakistan. While in Karachi, the Lord Mayor also hosted a number of round table discussions on debt markets, ed-

“There are many opportunities for British companies in Pakistan, and I look forward to speaking to businesses in London to promote all that Pakistan has to offer. Following our vote to leave the European Union, reconnecting with growing countries around the world is now more important than ever.

“As the world’s leading financial cen-tre, I believe that London has much to offer to Pakistani businesses looking to expand domestically, and overseas.”

Prior to his visit, the High Commis-sioner also held a meeting with the Lord Mayor and discussed areas of common interest with him.

Lord Mayor of London visits Pakistan to boost professional sector profile

ucation, and fintech.The Lord Mayor was accompanied on

his trip by a business delegation from British businesses looking to establish, or expand their operations in Pakistan.

Speaking on his visit, the Lord Mayor

said: “My trip to Pakistan has been a great success, full of productive meet-ings and roundtables. I enjoyed seeing firsthand the famous Pakistani hospi-tality, and I’m sure a new golden era of Pakistani-British relations is beginning.

Pakistan delegation participates in Education World Forum 2017 in London

A high level delegation from Pakistan participated in the Education World Fo-rum (EWF) held in London on 23 to 25 January, 2017. Ministers and Advis-ers representing over 80 percent of the world population attended the Forum to discuss and debate issues related to education.

The Pakistani delegates benefited from the knowledge and expertise of the leading educationists and policy makers

in the field. They also shared their own experiences and assessment of the issues and challenges faced by the education sector of Pakistan. Moreover, Education Ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab gave presentations on ‘Build-ing on the Power of Cities’ and ‘Early Childhood Development’ respectively at the Forum.

Besides attending the EWF, the del-egates also held meetings with British

Council, Department for International Development (DFID), Ofsted, Univer-sity College London (UCL), and Educa-tion Development Trust UK, to discuss collaboration and joint projects in the field of education.

Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir also delivered a talk at a Semi-nar on Kashmir at the British Parliament on 26 January, 2017.

The delegates were hosted at dinner

reception at the High Commission. On this occasion, Governments of Ba-lochistan signed an MoU with the Brit-ish Council on educational cooperation.

Jamiluddin Aali remembered at the High Commission

Renowned Pakistani poet and writer Jamiluddin Aali (Late), was remembered at the Pakistan High Commission Lon-don on 13 January 2017. The literary evening was jointly organized by the High Commission and Urdu Markaz London to pay tribute to the life and work of the great poet.

H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, High Commis-sioner to the UK presided over the event.

On this occasion a documentary en-titled “Khwab ka Safar” was screened which was hugely appreciated by fans of Aali Sahib. The documentary narrates the life journey of the poet by featuring brief remarks and interviews of the po-et’s contemporaries. It brings out salient features of Ali Sahib’s personality as a scholar, poet and true patriot.

In his remarks, the High Commis-sioner said that Jamiluddin Aali was a great patriot and his services for the pro-motion of Pakistani culture and Urdu

language are unparalleled. He stated: “One of the most salient features of Aali Saheb is that he kept himself relevant to his age and adapted himself to the changing times. He had unwavering

faith in the glorious destiny of Pakistan and was an inspiration for innumerable people.”

Jamiluddin Aali’s son Zulqarnain Jamil Aali also spoke on this occasion

and briefed the attendees about the documentary and shed light on vari-ous aspects of the life of his father. Dr. Javaid Sheikh, Chairman Urdu Markaz London, Professor Mehmood farooqi and Aqeel Danish presented brief papers on the life and work of Jamiluddin Aali. Mr. Asif Raza, a local singer, presented a couple of national songs of the poet on this occasion. Deputy High Com-missioner, Dr. Israr Hussain moderated the event.

Similar events on Jamiluddin Aali were also organised at the Sub-Mission of Pakistan in Birmangham, Bradford, Glasgow and Manchester. In Manches-ter, a Mushaira was also held in collab-oration with Ilm-o-Adab forum.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan: his life and legacy - A talk by professor Iftikhar Malik and Syed Mahmood Masood, Sir Syed’s direct descendant

“Screening of Khawab Ka Safar” in Manchestor

Activities at the Pakistan Consulates

The Consulate General of Pakistan organised screening of the documentary ‘Khawab Ka Safar’ based upon the life of eminent Pakistani poet and scholar Jamiluddin Aali. The son of Mr. Jamiluddin Aali, Mr. Zulqarnain Aali and the president of Anjuman

Tarakiye Urdu Pakistan Mr. Zain-ul-Abdain Aali were also present on the occasion.

Speakers at “Doing Business in Paki-stan” Conference in Glasgow said that Pakistan is brilliantly positioned for in-vestment and called upon the foreign investors to take advantage of the oppor-tunities offered by Pakistan. The Confer-ence was organized by Pakistan Britain Business Council (PBBC) in partnership with Scottish Government, Scottish De-velopment International (SDI) and the Pakistan High Commission London on 18 January 2017.

The event aimed to encourage and support UK companies considering business opportunities in Pakistan. It also focused on business opportunities

“Doing Business in Pakistan” Conference held in Glasgow

afforded by China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

On this occasion, Dr Alasdair Allan MSP, Minister for International Devel-opment & Europe said Scotland official-ly launched Scottish Pakistan Business Council (SPBC) and hoped that through this platform more Scottish companies would be able to successfully access the market of Pakistan. The Minister also recognized the contribution of large and vibrant Pakistani diaspora in Scotland.

In his remarks at the Conference, H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Com-missioner to the UK stated that a silent revolution is taking place in Pakistan.

Under the government of Prime Minis-ter Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan’s economy has turned around. He said: “The China Pakistan Economic Corri-dor (CPEC) is a real game changer in the region. It will not only bring huge investment of $54 billion to Pakistan’s infrastructure and energy sectors, but will also forge regional economic inte-gration. The (CPEC) also offers enor-mous opportunities to UK businesses, given Pakistan’s liberal trade and invest-ment regime.”

Julian Hamilton Barns, Chairman PBBC said that Pakistan is a big market with enormous business opportunities,

especially in the wake of CPEC. He said time is of essence as the early movers would clearly benefit the most. Mr Barns said business opportunities exist at all levels in Pakistan ranging from major infrastructural projects, retailing, en-ergy sector and skill development. He expressed desire that PBBC wants to establish partnerships with stakeholders in Pakistan for mutual benefit of the two countries.

The Conference was attended by more than 100 delegates representing a wide range of businesses, hedge funds, finan-cial institutions and companies working in Pakistan.

The Kalasha are the indigenous peo-ple of North West Pakistan. They only number about 3000 in three remote val-leys close to the Afghan border near Chitral, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and they practice a unique and fascinating life-

style. The origins of the Kalasha fascinate

anthropologists as they have no writ-ten language and their culture is passed down by word. They claim legendary ancestry as descendants of Alexander

the Great’s armies. A claim very easy to appreciate given the many sandy coloured hair and blue-eyed locals one encounters. However, this claim is not backed up by archaeologists as evidence is yet to be found to support that theory.

The Kalasha calendar and culture revolves around their festivals, which are a constant draw for visitors keen to learn about their very different way of life.

At the various ceremonies at all festi-vals, there is much dancing and chanting to the beat of drums. The dancing is unique in that the women will link arms

in groups and dance together by rotating as a mass rather than as individuals. The women are also instantly recogniseable as they wear their traditional black robes

and are adorned with coloured beads and ornate cowrie shelled headdresses.

Tourists are welcomed at these fes-tivals and indeed the most popular is

Joshi as the weather is pleasant. There are guesthouses available within the Kal-asha villages so that visitors can really immerse themselves in Kalasha culture.