Queen’s Young Leaders from Pakistan Awarded

His Royal Highness (HRH), The Prince of Wales called on Mr Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of

Pakistan, to enquire after his health in London on 11 June 2016.HRH Prince Charles expressed best wishes for the speedy recovery and good health of the Prime Minister and hoped that he would be returning soon to Pakistan to resume his office with renewed vigour. The Prince also conveyed good wishes to the Prime Minister on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen Elizabeth II and the peo-ple of the United Kingdom.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales calls on the Prime Minister to enquire after his health

Queen’s Young Leaders from Pakistan Awarded

Her Majesty The Queen presented awards to the 2016 Queen’s Young Leaders from Pakistan, Zainab

Bibi and Muhammad Usman Khan, in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 23 June 2016. His Royal Highness Prince Harry attended the event in support of The Queen, which recognised exceptional young people from across the Commonwealth who are making lasting change in their communities. H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK attended the ceremony at the Buckingham Palace.

He met with the Pakistani Award winners and commended their efforts for the prestigious Award. The High Commissioner termed them role models for the Pakistani youth. Zainab Bibi is a keen environmental-ist, with a strong interest in renewable energy. In 2013, she established the Pakistan Society for Green Energy to increase awareness of green energy solutions. Muhammad Usman Khan is dedicated to helping all children to receive an education. After attending the British Council’s Active Citizens Programme, he designed an educa-tional programme called Back to Life Edutainment for street children.

Sir Anand Satyanand, Former Governor-General of New Zealand and current Chair of the Commonwealth Foundation called on H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas,

Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK

The Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC Opposition Whip in the Legislative Council Australia called on H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High

Commissioner to the UK

Expressing his deep appreciation for the friendly gesture by HRH Prince Charles, the Prime Minister stated

that he was overwhelmed by HRH’s warmth and sentiments for his well being.

The Prime Minister also acknowl-edged the kind messages received from the British leadership and friends after his surgery. The Prime Minister conveyed to HRH his best wishes for Her Majesty the Queen on her 90th birthday and on becoming the longest reigning British monarch. He also appreciated UK’s develop-ment assistance to Pakistan, especially in health and education sectors. The Prime Minister renewed the invi-tation to The Prince of Wales to visit Pakistan at his earliest convenience.The Prime Minister was presented with a bouquet of flowers on behalf of The Prince of Wales.

The High Commission for Pakistan in London organized a dinner in honour of the UK-based Pakistani media persons in its premises

on 1 June 2016. The purpose of the event was to further enhance interaction with the Pakistani media and update them on the developments and initiatives taken by the High Commission in the recent past. A large number of media persons comprising editors, reporters, anchor persons, columnists, cam-eramen and photographers were in attendance.Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner said that by the grace of Allah Almighty, the Prime Minister

was on the path of fast recovery with the prayers of the entire nation and he would soon be discharging his re-sponsibilities with even greater focus and energy.The High Commissioner also con-gratulated the Pakistani community on epoch making election of Mayor Sadiq Khan and hoped that it would help inspire our youth and communi-ty at large.The High Commissioner said the narrative about Pakistan was chang-ing in the UK positively in view of the enhanced investment opportu-nities created by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and improved security environment of the country. The High Commissioner apprised

the media about the improvements in Consular Services in line with the instructions of the Prime Minister of Pakistan. He particularly mentioned about provisions introduced for per-sons with special needs. The High Commissioner apprised the guests that the Consular Services were continuously being modernized by starting online booking of ap-pointments, launching of interactive website, compiling of email database for dissemination of information and recently the Wifi was also made avail-able for the visitors in the Consular Hall. Similarly, the NADRA and Machine Readable Passport (MRP), services are also available at the London Mis-sion as well as all the four Consulates

in Manchester, Birmingham, Bradford and Glasgow, which has resolved a long standing issue of the community, added the High Commissioner.The High Commissioner also shared with the media the elaborate plans envisioned by the High Commission for the 70th Independence Anniver-sary of Pakistan and asked for media’s support to carry out those social and cultural activities.The High Commissioner commend-ed the excellent role of the Pakistani media in the UK and said they were a guiding force for the community as well as the High Commission. The media persons greatly appreciated High Commission’s efforts to engage with media and general community.

The Growing Econo-mies Energy Forum (GEEF), hosted open discussions between the governments and private sector from the

most anticipated new energy markets in the world including Pakistan, in London from 22-23 June 2016. The Forum explored ways and means to tap into opportunities at an early stage as these countries open up for international investment following political and economic developments. H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK delivered the key-note address on “The Role of Public-Private Partnerships in Paki-stan’s Power Strategy”. He highlighted the role of private investors in increas-ing the efficiency of Pakistan’s power industry and importance of indige-nous coal and hydro-power develop-ment for Pakistan. The High Commissioner updated the participants that the Government of Pakistan has turned around the economy in the last three years and now we seek to showcase the enor-mous opportunities for profitable investments that exist in every sec-

Pakistani media hosted at the Pakistan High Commission Narrative about Pakistan is changing in the UK: Syed Ibne Abbas

Pakistan participates in Growing Economies Energy Forum in London

tor of Pakistan, particularly, energy sector. He also informed the Forum that existing power companies are receiving excellent returns on their investments by virtue of the liberal investment regime of Pakistan. The High Commissioner highlighted the overwhelming hydro-power potential of Pakistan that is around 60,000 MW, most of which is untapped. Similarly, Pakistan’s coal reserves of 185 billion tons can cumulatively generate 4620 MW electricity, informed the High

Commissioner.Shah Jehan Mirza, Managing Direc-tor, Private Power and Infrastructure Board (PPIB), Ministry of Water and Power, Pakistan made a presentation on the policy and legal framework of the energy sector of Pakistan and the immense opportunities available for international investors. Mr Saad Zam-an of Abraaj Group informed the par-ticipants about their huge investment in Pakistan. Similarly, Mr Asif Saad, COO of K-Electric briefed the audi-

ence on the performance of K-Elec-tric. Mr Liang Xuan, Director Middle East and North Africa, Goldwind International Holdings (HK) Limited appraised the Forum about huge wind energy potential in Pakistan. The Forum provided a valuable op-portunity for the Pakistan delegation to exchange ideas on energy sector in Pakistan. The High Commissioner congratulated the Energy Net Ltd on organising the Forum.

Top position holder Pakistani students visit the High Commission

Multi-faith Iftar dinner

A group of thirty top position holder stu-dents of Graduation level from all over Pakistan were hosted to a reception at Pa-

kistan High Commission London on June 2016. The group comprised high achievers; several of them were world record holders in various academic subjects at O Level and A Level.Welcoming the students, H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commis-sioner to the UK, congratulated them on their academic achievements. He praised the students’ aspiration to serve Pakistan in diverse fields. The High Commissioner hoped that their interaction with a host of public and private institutions in the UK would be rewarding.The High Commissioner appreciated the vision of Chief Minister Pun-jab, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif for sending the students to visit foreign educational institutions and get deep-er understanding of diverse cultures. He urged the students to make the most of this opportunity to enrich their learning experience, especially in the age of the Internet which has transcended geographical barriers.The students were briefed about the opportunities offered by the British

Chevening scholarships and the Com-monwealth scholarships. The Gov-ernment of Punjab has undertaken this initiative to familiarize the bright and promising students from all over Pakistan, with the leading educational institutions of the European countries and then study there. The visit also aimed to introduce the youth of Paki-

stan to the cutting edge technologies and academic practices in the West-ern World. The group, during their three-week stay in the UK visited prestigious academic institutions in the UK including Oxford University, Cambridge University, London School of Economics, Strathclyde Universi-ty and Glasgow University amongst

others, where they got exposure to contemporary teaching methods in the UK. The students also visited the British Parliament and some leading media houses in the UK.The High Commissioner gave away mementos to the students at the end. After the UK, the group visited universities in Germany and Sweden.

An inter-faith Iftar dinner was held at the Birmingham Central Mosque on 23 June, 2016. It was organized by the

chairman of the mosque committee, Councillor Mohammad Afzal and attended by Consul in Birmingham, Syed Maroof and MP Andrew Mitch-ell as the chief guest. People from various ethnicities and faiths were also amongst the attendees.

In his brief remarks, the Con-sul appreciated the initiative of the Central Mosque for having organized multi-faith gathering. He underscored the need for more such events, to help create mutual-understanding among the followers of different faiths and promote inter-faith harmony.

Supporting Aman Foundation, Pakistan

The Pakistan Consulate, Birmingham organised an Iftar dinner in sup-port of Aman Foun-dation, Pakistan on 24 June 2016. The pur-

pose of the event was to introduce the state of the art ambulance service in Karachi, and then in the entire coun-try. In his remarks, Consul Maroof urged the attendees to support the

noble cause, so that it could achieve the goal that it had set for itself. The CEO of the foundation also informed the guests about the organisation’s history, vision and its mission for the future. He also thanked everyone for their help and support.On this occa-sion, UBL’s achievement as the ‘Best Bank’ of the year was also celebrated. Head of Marketing, Mr Bill shared the bank’s success over the past years.

“https://stuartdoddstravels.wordpress.com/2016/06/14/pakistan-2016-islamabad-and-the-karakoram-highway/.

Scottish University student’s blog on tourism in PakistanStuart Dodds, a 23 years old Sterling University student (doing his BA Honours in Business Studies) and an avid international traveller has written a blog on his experiences following a visit to the northern areas of Pakistan during his holidays in May.It is largely a very positive, detailed and beautifully illustrated account and encourages others also to explore that part of the world. Two excerpts from his blog: PRIOR TO VISIT: “When I told my parents about this trip they weren’t exactly thrilled. Whilst my Dad used to work in Karachi, albeit in the 1970s when things were very different, the events in Lahore three weeks prior to my arrival weren’t exactly going to lighten the mood. We had the same “worst case scenario” discussions. “

SUBSEQUENT TO VISIT

“I’d recommend to anyone who is on the fence deciding whether or not to visit to such a country to be brave and just go! Everyone I met was delighted to see me and after exchanging many a Facebook address I’ve been inundat-ed with home stay offers from all over the country for my next trip. So until next time, Pakistan it was a pleasure!”It’s a great travelogue and hopefully a harbinger of renewed influx of west-ern tourists particularly to the North-ern areas of Pakistan.

Most visitors exploring the north of Paki-stan will inev-itably spend some time in

the scenic sanctuary of the Hunza Valley. And why not - the people are welcoming, the mountain panoramas are stunning and the infrastructure is well set up for tourism.But for those who wish to step back in time and have a less commercial expe-rience across the Hunza River, the Na-

gyr Valley is waiting to be explored. The two valleys were initially ruled by brothers, but over the years fierce rivalry grew and many bloody wars were fought. Over time Hunza, how-ever, benefitted from the trade routes from Central Asia and this allowed the valley to grow in size, strength and importance. Indeed, once the Kar-akoram Highway opened for business in 1986, it further consolidated the trade links that would soon flow from China. Today, the difference between the valleys is stark. Whilst Nagyr

may not have prospered as well as its neighbour, the trekking in Nagyr is far superior for the sheer diversity that it offers. One such trek is that of Rush Peak. It really has everything for the trekker who is big on experi-ence but short on time. Starting at the village of Hoper, there are glaciers to be crossed, flower filled meadows to walk through, sublime views of Hun-za panorama to be had, and camping by the pristine Rush Lake at 4600m surrounded by snow capped giants. For those looking for that extra chal-

lenge, there is the opportunity to scale Rush Peak itself, which is over 5000m. It is a circular route, which means the return journey is equally impressive. All this can be done in as little as four days. For those left wanting more – and you will, the base camp treks to Golden Peak and the beautiful Raka-poshi are also in Nagyr.The best time to trek in Nagyr is from June through to September. A jeep from Karimabad to Hoper will take you just over an hour.

Nagyr – A Road Less Travelled