Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H E Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr Al Mohannadi (second left), Secretary-General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr Ahmad Hassan Al Hamadi (second right), Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah Al Thani (l
DOHA: To commemorate Pakistan Day, the Embassy of Pakistan hosted a reception at Ritz-Carlton Hotel yesterday which was attended by a large number of Qatari dignitaries, members of the diplomatic corps and notable Pakistanis living in Qatar.
The Chief Guest of the event was Minister of Justice and Acting Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, H E Dr Hassan Lahdan Saqr Al Mohannadi. The Secretary-General of Ministry of Foreign Affairs, H E Dr Ahmad Hassan Al Hamadi, was also present.
Former Air Chief Marshal of Pakistan, Sohail Aman, also attended the event as a special guest. The reception was attended by a large number from the diplomats and Pakistani expatriates.
The ceremony started with playing of the national anthems of both Qatar and Pakistan. It was followed by a brief speech by Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Shahzad Ahmad. The Ambassador welcomed the guests and highlighted the historical significance of March 23.
The Ambassador of Pakistan said that Pakistan and Qatar have extremely strong ties, and “ours is not a singular relationship but multi-faceted”. He said that the last several years have seen these ties become ever stronger.
“We pray for the success of our Qatari brethren, and our Mission in Qatar continues to look for avenues of cooperation between our two countries. I am confident in our continued shared partnership.
“Let me express my gratitude to H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, to the leadership of Qatar, to the Qatari Government and the people of Qatar, for the love and support that they have shown and continue to show to the Pakistani people,” Shahzad Ahmad said.
The Ambassador also made mentioned about rich history and culture of Pakistan and in this regard he spoke about renowned historical places like Badshahi Masjid, Lahore Fort, Sheesh Mahal and archeological cites Mohenjo-daro. He also shed light that Pakistan was endowed with beautiful landscapes and picturesque sceneries which are renowned tourist destinations for foreigners.
He also mentioned that Financial Times had also included Pakistan to its list of “where to go in 2018: an insider’s guides”. At the end the cake cutting ceremony was also performed. “The media image portrayed of Pakistan is so far from reality. Pakistan is culturally rich, diverse and the Pakistani people welcoming and tolerant,” the Ambassador added.
During the ceremony, guests from all walks of life interacted with each other and congratulated officers and staff of Pakistan Embassy on the National Day. They expressed their happiness and exchanged views with the ambassador and other officers of the Embassy. The guests were entertained with traditional Pakistani meal.
