Birmingham: High Commissioner Moazzam Ahmad Khan attended a Reception hosted by Lord Zameer Choudrey, Chairman Conservative Friends of Pakistan at the Annual Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham on 4 October 2022. British Foreign Secretary, Rt Hon James Cleverly MP was the keynote speaker whereas Ministers, Lords, MPs and members of the civil society were in attendance.
In his address on the occasion, the High Commissioner apprised the participants of the devastation caused by the recent floods in Pakistan. He appreciated the announcement of £16.5 million for humanitarian assistance by the UK Government as well as support through the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) and the mobilization of resources by the civil society. He noted that the extent of the damage from the floods in Pakistan was US$30 billion. Against a global carbon footprint of less than 1%, Pakistan is regarded as the 7th most vulnerable country in the world and, therefore, seeks Climate Justice, underlined the High Commissioner. He emphasized on expanding the horizons of cooperation through enduring partnerships in prosperity, sustainability, migration, security, education and health sector between Pakistan and the UK.
The High Commissioner also highlighted Indian atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IIOJK) for over seven decades, particularly since 5th August 2019. He pointed out that in blatant violation of the 4th Geneva Convention, a concerted campaign was underway by the Indian Government to alter IIOJK’s demographic structure and to extinguish the distinct Kashmiri identity.
Lord Zameer Choudrey, Iain Duncan Smith MP, Tom Tugendhat MP, Andy Street Mayor of the West Midlands, Paul Stuart Scully Cabinet Member, Nusrat Ghani MP, Saqib Bhatti MP, Mark Simon Eastwood MP and Mohammed Afzal Director West Midlands and North COP spoke at the reception.
