Upcoming General elections to further cement democracy in Pakistan: Minister Mark Field

The Pakistan High Commission London hosted a reception in London, on the evening of 23 March 2018, to celebrate 78th Pakistan Day.

Rt Hon Mark Field, FCO Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific and Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Speaker National Assembly of Pakistan were the Chief Guests on the occasion.

Lord Tariq Ahmed, FCO Minister of State for the Commonwealth and the UN, and MP Rehman Chishti, the UK Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for Pakistan also attended the event. Besides, Lords, MPs, MEPs, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps,  Diplomats, Defence Attaches, Senior Civil and Military Representatives, Mayors, Councillors, members of the British society and Pakistani diaspora were among the attendees.

In his welcome remarks, H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK said:

“Quaid-i-Azam’s vision of a democratic and pluralistic State remains the guiding principle of today’s Pakistan. Today’s democratic Pakistan, with a robust economy, fast growing middle class, vibrant civil society and improved security situation, is poised to become a regional economic powerhouse. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) provides further impetus to our promising economic turnaround.”

Speaking about Pakistan-UK relations, the High Commissioner stated:

“Strong Pakistan-UK relations are manifestation of our foreign policy objectives. Post-Brexit, we look forward to translate the strong political goodwill into economic relations. I invite British businesses to take advantage of enormous economic opportunities offered by Pakistan’s emerging economy.”

The High Commissioner also acknowledged the valuable contributions made by over 1.2 million strong British Pakistani diaspora in strengthening Pakistan-UK relations.

In his speech, Minister Mark Field said:

“Today is the perfect moment to remember the founding ideals of Pakistan set out by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal–their shared vision for Pakistan of an independent democratic state. That vision is one that rightly continues to inspire millions of Pakistanis to this day.

“Today is also a tremendous opportunity to celebrate the extraordinary and evolving ties between our two countries. Ties that I think are stronger today than they have ever been before.

“A record 12 members of Parliament of Pakistani origin took our best seats last June. It’s a record I know will surely be surpassed once more at the next general election. Now as Pakistan holds its own general elections this year I believe this is an opportunity to cement its democracy as one of the fundamental building blocks of modern and prosperous society.

“In November I visited Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Multan and KP and I was treated to some of the legendary Pakistani hospitality but I was also impressed by the sight of Pakistan’s young cricketers using every spare piece of ground to hone their skill. The one that impressed me most of course was the country’s enormous potential. There’s no doubt Pakistan has all the ingredients to become an economic and trading powerhouse.

In his remarks, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq said:

“We are trying to strengthen the institution of Parliament. During the past 5 years, the Parliament has taken crucial steps and enacted 131 bills, which is the highest number since 1985. We are the first Parliament of the world that has gone green. I am thankful for the help of the British Parliament due to which parliamentary courses have been introduced in about 27 universities of Pakistan.”

On security, the Speaker said:

“The Parliament, the civil and military institutions and the people of Pakistan have got together to defeat the menace of terrorism. We have successfully tackled terrorism and restored peace in Pakistan.”

About economy, he stated:

“China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other investment flowing into Pakistan would open up a new era of progress and development in the country.”

On Kashmir, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq expressed:

“On this day, we cannot forget our Kashmiri brothers and sisters who continue to suffer under occupation of Indian forces. International community must come forward to take notice of human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir (IOK).”

The Pakistan Day Reception is the biggest annual event of the calendar of the High Commission.