KARACHI: The Karachi Council on Foreign Relations (KCFR) launched the Pakistan-Africa Institute for Development & Research (PAIDAR) on Sunday, marking a significant milestone in strengthening ties between Pakistan and African countries.
The launch ceremony, held at a local hotel, was attended by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed, Tariq Ikram, Nadira Panjwani, Ikram Sehgal, and the Consul General of Oman in Karachi, Engineer Sami Abdullah Salim Al Khanjari.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed hailed the launch of PAIDAR as a “step in the right direction” to cement economic, trade, cultural, people-to-people, and government-to-government relations between Pakistan and Africa. He emphasised the significance of this think tank, especially at a time when Afro-Asian countries are poised to play a crucial role in world politics.
He highlighted Pakistan’s historical support for African nations’ independence and development, recalling that Pakistan had been a vocal and persistent supporter of the cause of independence, autonomy, progress, and development of African nations in the post-World War II era. He noted that prominent African national leaders in the post-colonial era had always acknowledged the overwhelming moral, diplomatic, and material support their countries had received from Pakistan for ensuring their survival and growth soon after securing independence.
The Senator also mentioned that seasoned jurists, technocrats, bureaucrats, professionals, and military officers from Pakistan had gone to serve in African countries to run different affairs of the state after independence, citing the example of late Air Marshal Azim Daudpota, who served as the first Air Chief of Zimbabwe. He pointed out that Pakistan has diplomatic missions in some 25 African countries, and around 15 African nations have embassies in Islamabad, indicating growing Afro-Pakistan ties.
Tariq Ikram, former chairman of the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, stressed the massive potential for economic and trade growth between Pakistan and Africa. He urged Pakistani industrialists and businessmen to actively explore the option of African nations as a fast-emerging and thriving market for their products and commodities. He suggested that trade officers posted at Pakistani diplomatic missions in African capitals could play an important role in this regard after fully understanding the dynamics of the local markets in Africa. He advocated for competent and qualified people from the private sector to be given a chance to grow trade relations between Pakistan and the African continent.
KCFR Patron-in-Chief Ikram Sehgal expressed gratitude to the Consul General of Oman in Karachi, Engineer Sami Abdullah Salim Al Khanjari, for attending the launching ceremony, saying that Oman would serve as a gateway to further cement the economic and trade ties between Pakistan and the African continent. He announced that the new think tank would conduct more moots and roundtable discussions to find ways and means to further enhance ties between Pakistan and Africa.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.