Sri Lanka-Pakistan Friendship Association strengthens bonds

The 40th annual general meeting of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Friendship Association SLPFA was held on Friday at 6p.m. at the Automobile Association of Ceylon Auditorium with High Commissioner of Pakistan to Sri Lanka Seema Ilahi Baloch, who is also Patron of the Association, as Chief Guest.

The ceremony was also attended by the Association President Ifthikhar Aziz along with other office bearers of the SLPFA, embassy officials, and representatives of various media organisations.

As is customary, the minutes of the last AGM, secretary’s report for the period under review and the audited accounts of the Sri Lanka-Pakistan Friendship Association were tabled and adopted.

Aziz listed out the many projects and activities carried out by his executive committee and himself which included many firsts in the 60 year history of this second oldest Friendship Association in the country. These projects and activities included setting up an interactive and member friendly website for the Association, celebration of Sri Lanka’s Independence Day, commemorating Iqbal Day and organising very successful all-island Jinnah essay competition culminating in attractive cash awards and certificates being given to students, publication of an executive directory, quarterly newsletters, Ramazan trade fair, friendly cricket festival involving the Sri Lankan and Pakistani members and their families including Embassy personnel, Ifthar programmes, providing relief for Pakistani flood victims, organising Ghaibana Janaza Prayers for the 26 innocent Pakistani soldiers killed by indiscriminate NATO bombing followed by a peaceful protest outside the Dewatagaha Mosque, which attracted thousands of people and many other social service and cultural events that helped bring the two friendly countries and their brotherly peoples closer to each other.

High Commissioner Baloch thanked the outgoing management of SLPFA for their support and cooperation for all the projects and activities carried by them during their tenure. She also urged the SLPFA to be proactive by launching membership drives for encouraging more Sri Lankans and Pakistanis to join the association.

She added that one of the objectives of the association is to, “foster and promote good understanding and strong ties between the people of Sri Lanka and Pakistan” which can only be achieved by engaging the wider public. Then only the association will contribute to the aims and objectives by enlarging the membership of the association, she further said.

She asked the office bearers of the association to explore ways and means to enhance present opportunities for student exchanges and to guide and encourage students to obtain admission to recognised learning institutions for higher studies in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Aziz thanked the High Commissioner Baloch, High commission officials in particular Daud Ehtisham, Kaiser Chaudry, Amer Siddiqui, Mariam Saeed, etc ,his Secretary Dr. Yasmin Fazli, Treasurer Mohideen Ariff, Exco members, sponsors, members of the Association and the media for all the support and co-operation extended to make his tenure a very successful one.