The Nazriay Pakistan Council (NPC) celebrated the United Nation’s ‘International Friendship Day’ at the Aiwan-e-Quaid, Fatima Jinnah Park, renewing a call to end Israel’s aggression against the unarmed innocent Palestinians in Gaza.
In his remarks on the occasion, Chairman of the NPC Mian Muhammad Javed regretted that Israel was acting like an international bully and there was no one that could stop its aggression against unarmed innocent civilians of Gaza.
“We are celebrating the UN Day but it seems that UN is helpless before Israel,” said Mian Javed.
Unfortunately, to Israel words such as ‘friendship’ ‘humanity’ and ‘respect’ carry no meaning, he said. Pakistan, said Mian Muhammad Javed has always upheld the universal values of friendship and camaraderie and the people of the country are friendly and gracious. Mian Muhammad Javed gave the example that Pakistan readily acknowledged the extended hand of friendship by Bangladesh forgetting the past bitterness. In his presidential address, noted poet and fiction writer, Dr Waheed Ahmed paid rich tributes to the NPC for organizing an event on ‘friendship.’ In the past, I have attended many seminars and roundtable discussions at the Aiwan-e-Quaid but this gathering on the subject of friendship is unique and quite morale-boosting, he said.
Chief Guest on the occasion, Dr Samar Raza also commended the selection of topic for discussion saying, man’s life is incomplete without friends as friends lend colour and excitement to life. Earlier, senior Vice Chairman of the NPC and Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Pakistan Observer, Faisal Zahid Malik in his welcome address said friendship is like wealth one should cherish and value. He who doesn’t have friends is a poor and less fortunate man than he who has good friends, said Faisal Zahid Malik. We cannot choose our family members but we can choose our friends so we should choose good friends with kind heart and sincere nature. Likewise, we should value our old friends and keep alive contact with them. Former ambassador Salahuddin Chaudhry presented his English poem on the occasion which is written in praise of friendship. Director Programmes, NPC Hameed Qaiser said friendship not only makes one’s life complete, it also makes it beautiful and worth-living. We can make friends but everyone cannot fulfill the needs and requirements of friendship, he said. Those who attended the event and spoke on the occasion included Riffat Toor, Afzal Babar, Maqbool Bhatti, Afshan Abbasi, Tayyib Kamran, Muhammad Sajid Qureshi, Naeem Khalid, Musarrat Shireen, Maira Faryal Malik, Masood Hashmi, Rabia Khan and Rizwana Musarrat.
