ofembassyofpakistanusa.org/.../05/Newsletter_November-2016-Februa… · Embassy Newsletter Sept-Oct...

Embassy Newsletter Sept-Oct 2016

This newsletter covers a flurry of activity conducted by the Embassy for the last quarter. The Prime Minister congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on his victory in the US Presidential elections. In a telephonic call marked by cordiality and frankness, both leaders agreed to work together for strengthening bilateral relations. Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Mr. Tariq Fatemi visited the United States and held meetings on the Hill, with the outgoing Administration and the Transition team as part of our outreach to maintain close contact on matters of mutual interest. …..

j

In our public diplomacy drive, we organized the inaugural session of 'Pakistan Embassy Forum' with a panel discussion on "Energy Situation in Pakistan". I consider it a singularly significant initiative. The Forum was established to provide a platform for frank discussions on issues of importance to Pakistan. These interactions, under the Chatham House Rule, provide our policy makers insight into different perspectives on important issues and their viable solutions. The outcome of these deliberations will be published as 'Pakistan papers'. As part of this initiative, another seminar on Water issues was organized at the Embassy. This seminar attracted prominent scholars, academia, and officials of the State Department, USAID, World Bank, IMF, IFC and think tanks.

I will be completing my tenure as Ambassador by the end of February 2017. It was an honour and privilege to serve the community and the country as the Ambassador of Pakistan in Washington DC for three years. In these years, I received tremendous support from Pakistani diaspora, from my team in the Embassy, my own government and colleagues in the US government. I owe a debt of profound gratitude to all those who supported me through these years for putting Pakistan-US relations on a positive trajectory despite challenges.

Mr. Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, the current Foreign Secretary will succeed me as Ambassador of Pakistan to Washington DC. He is one of the finest officer of Pakistan's Foreign Service. I hope he will receive full support from the diaspora and his colleagues in the new US Government. I wish him the best.

I hope that Pakistan's reinvigorated journey towards progress and prosperity would continue and Pakistan-US relations – entrenched in enhanced people to people contact – would solidify in 2017 and the years ahead.

Embassy Newsletter Nov 2016 – Feb 2017

of

in

IN THIS ISSUE:

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif

made a congratulatory call to

President Donald Trump.………2

Special Assistant to the PM on

Foreign Affairs, Syed Tariq

Fatemi visited Washington,

DC………...............................2-4

Federal Minister For Planning,

Development & Reform, Dr.

Ahsan Iqbal visited Washington,

DC…………………………....4-5

Washington, DC bade farewell to

Ambassador Jalil Abbas

Jilani…...................................5-7

Embassy Outreach…………..7-12

Defence………………..…..13-14

Community News .….………..14

The Embassy held a farewell

reception for Ambassador Jalil

Abbas Jilani .............................15

MESSAGE FROM AMBASSADOR JALIL ABBAS JILANI

SAPM SYED TARIQ FATEMI MET WITH U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER DR. SUSAN RICE

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi met with Dr. Susan Rice, National Security Adviser at the White House. During the meeting, the SAPM briefed Dr. Rice on Pakistan’s unprecedented successes in counter terrorism, highlighting the sacrifices rendered by the people and security forces. He also briefed her on the current regional situation drawing her attention to the massive and systematic human rights violations in Indian Occupied Kashmir. The recent escalation on the border and cease fire violations by the Indian forces were also discussed. The SAPM made a particular reference to the killing of innocent civilians, as a result of in-discriminatory fire by the Indian forces across the line of control and the working boundary. NSA Rice stressed that the United States attached the highest importance to its relations with Pakistan and expressed satisfaction with the progress made by both in enhancing their cooperation in multiple fields. She appreciated Pakistan's efforts to promote peace and stability in the region and commended its participation in the Heart of Asia Conference held in Amritsar last week. Dr. Rice also expressed her concern on the increasing escalation at the LoC. while affirming that the United States stood for dialogue and meaningful cooperation among the countries of the region.

SAPM SYED TARIQ FATEMI HELD A MEETING WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

EMBASSY of THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN in Washington DC -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2

PRIME MINISTER NAWAZ SHARIF CONGRATULATED PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP

PRIME MINISTER MUHAMMAD NAWAZ SHARIF CONGRATULATED DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE U.S.

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif congratulated President-elect of the United States of America Mr. Donald J. Trump on his historic victory in the 2016 U.S. presidential elections. Prime Minister said that the U.S. election is indeed the triumph of the American people and their enduring faith in the ideals of democracy, freedom, human rights and free enterprise. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif added that over the past seven decades, Pakistan and the United States have enjoyed a strategic partnership, rooted in the shared ideals of freedom, democracy, mutual respect and commonality of interests. He further said that “our deep seated conviction that a strong partnership between the two countries remains critical to promoting and sustaining peace, security and stability in the wider region, continues to underpin the resilience in Pak-U.S. ties." Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif said he wished to re-affirm his Government's commitment to further strengthening and deepening of Pak-U.S. relations, in a manner truly reflective of the aspirations of our two nations. Full text: http://mofa.gov.pk/pr-details.php?mm=NDQ4Nw

SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE PRIME MINISTER (SAPM) FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SYED TARIQ FATEMI VISITED THE U.S.

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi, met with the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC) at the Capitol Hill where he was welcomed by Chairman Senator Bob Corker (Republican for Tennessee) and Ranking Member Senator Ben Cardin (Democrat for Maryland). Mr. Fatemi conveyed the good wishes of the Prime Minister to the leadership of the Senate and thanked the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for its support and assistance to Pakistan. He briefed the Senators on how Pakistan had turned the page by focusing on improving economy and security in the country during the last three years. The SAPM also appreciated the role of the U.S. Congress in authorizing the critical counter-terrorism assistance that helped Pakistan in eradicating the terrorist networks operating from FATA and promoting peace and stability in the region. Highlighting massive human rights violations ……. in Indian occupied Kashmir as well as continued tensions across the Line of Control, the SAPM briefed the Senators on the increasing negative implications for prospects of peace in South Asia because of Indian hostility and belligerence. The leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee acknowledged Pakistan's role in promoting peace and security in the region and expressed the United States’ desire to strengthen bilateral ties with Pakistan.

SAPM and Ambassador Jilani with the leadership of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) and Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)

http://mofa.gov.pk/pr-details.php?mm=NDQ4Nw



SAPM SYED TARIQ FATEMI MET WITH CONGRESSMAN ELIOT ENGEL (D-NY), RANKING MEMBER, HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi met with Eliot Engel (Democrat for New York), Ranking Member of House Armed Services Committee. Both sides discussed a range of issues in bilateral relations. The SAPM informed the Congressman on Pakistan’s continued efforts to deal with the threat of terrorism. He underlined Pakistan’s firm commitment to act against all terrorist networks, without any discrimination. Citing improved security situation in Pakistan, the SAPM highlighted that Pakistan’s recent ongoing efforts had already yielded remarkable success. He also apprised Congressman Engel on economic developments in Pakistan and the government’s efforts to spur domestic growth. Mr. Fatemi and Rep. Eliot Engel agreed to continue working toward a stronger Pakistan-U.S. relationship in the future.

SAPM SYED TARIQ FATEMI MET WITH SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN (R-AZ)

SAPM SYED TARIQ FATEMI ADDRESSED FOREIGN POLICY EXPERTS AND U.S. GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVES AT THE UNITED STATES INSTITUTE OF PEACE (USIP)


EMBASSY of THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN in Washington DC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi met with the Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Senator John McCain (Republican-Arizona). Mr. Fatemi informed Senator McCain about the overall security situation in the region and significant gains made by Pakistani forces following the successful military operations in North Waziristan which were aimed at eliminating all terrorists, without any discrimination, from the Pakistani soil. The regional situation including Pakistan's relations with Afghanistan and the growing tension across the Line of Control and the Working Boundary were also discussed. Recalling his visit to Pakistan in summer this year, Senator McCain appreciated the efforts by Pakistan to eliminate terrorist outfits from the region and assured the SASC's continued support in realizing the common objective of defeating terrorism. He congratulated Pakistan on successful transition in the military command and reiterated the US commitment to remain engaged with Pakistan in promoting lasting peace and stability in the region.

Right: SAPM Fatemi shaking hands with Senator John McCain (R-AZ)

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi addressing U.S. Government representatives and foreign policy experts at the USIP

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi spoke to a select gathering of foreign policy experts and U.S. government representatives at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). He highlighted the achievements of the government in bringing economic stability and domestic peace to Pakistan. Speaking about Pakistan-U.S. relations, the SAPM emphasized that Pakistan attached great importance to its ties with U.S. in both security and economic domains. He added that Pakistan looked forward to building on the … existing convergences in the relationship as well as addressing mutual differences if any, .through continued engagement in the weeks and months ahead as President Trump's Administration takes charge in January next year. He said that some of the recent pronouncements by the President-elect were encouraging and indicated U.S.’ willingness to play its part in helping with certain important issues facing the South Asian region.



Minister Dr. Ahsan Iqbal meeting with State Department and USAID officials

SAPM SYED TARIQ FATEMI BRIEFED U.S. BASED PAKISTANI MEDIA

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi briefing U.S. based Pakistani media at the Embassy

SAPM Syed Tariq Fatemi briefed U.S. based Pakistani media giving them a roundup of his visit to Washington, DC. Mr. Fatemi underscored that his current official visit to the U.S. afforded an excellent opportunity to explain Pakistan’s perspective to his U.S. counterparts regarding key issues such as Governance, Economy, Counter-terrorism efforts etc. Mr. Fatemi remarked that though Trump Administration was not yet in place, Pakistan looked forward to working closely with the new President-elect and his team with particular focus on economic linkages and trade that formed a common denominator in the agenda of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and President-elect Trump. While reiterating Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating terrorism he added that Pakistan, being a sovereign State, would decide the scale, pace and reach of its counter terrorism efforts in line with its economic and operational limitations as well as other capacity constraints. Mr. Fatemi concluded the briefing by indicating that his current visit to US would be followed by other high level visits.

MINISTER FOR PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT AND REFORM, DR. AHSAN IQBAL HELD A JOINT MEETING WITH SENIOR OFFICIALS OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE USAID

FEDERAL MINISTER FOR PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & REFORM, DR. AHSAN IQBAL VISITED WASHINGTON, DC

EMBASSY of THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN in Washington DC --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5

FEDERAL MINISTER FOR PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & REFORM, DR. AHSAN IQBAL VISITED WASHINGTON, DC

The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) hosted Dr. Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development & Reform for a discussion on China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Dr. Iqbal said that the CPEC was in sync with Pakistan’s Vision 2025 that seeks to position Pakistan from a lower middle income country to high middle income country. The CPEC has stimulated overall economic growth in Pakistan as a result of which Pakistan's steel, cement, and construction sectors were booming. He underlined that a vibrant economic environment in Pakistan should be a stimulus for the US companies to view Pakistan as an opportunity. Right: Minister Dr. Ahsan Iqbal speaking on CPEC at the USIP

Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Reform, Dr. Ahsan Iqbal held a joint meeting with senior officials of the State Department and the USAID at the Embassy. The meeting reviewed the progress in implementation of the “Pakistan U.S. Knowledge Corridor”, an important element of which is to work with the U.S. educational institutions for producing 10,000 Pakistani Ph.Ds in the next ten years from well reputed U.S. universities in various disciplines. Building on the discussions held during the last meeting of the Working Group on Education, Science and Technology, Dr. Ahsan Iqbal said that the government is committed to developing quality human resource for the future of country to transform Pakistan's economy into a Knowledge Economy. Minister Iqbal urged the U.S. officials to expedite the necessary formalities particularly the internal coordination between the relevant U.S. agencies in order to facilitate the early roll out of this critical initiative for development of Pakistan’s human resource. U.S. officials assured the Minister that they were working with the concerned departments in order to complete the necessary homework. A visit by the relevant U.S. officials was expected in the next few weeks to complete the formalities for early commencement of the initiative.

MINISTER FOR PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT & REFORM, PROFESSOR DR. AHSAN IQBAL ADDRESSED AT USIP ON CHINA-PAKISTAN ECONOMIC CORRIDOR

WASHINGTON BADE FAREWELL TO AMBASSADOR JALIL ABBAS JILANI

STATE DEPARTMENT HOSTED A FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR AMBASSADOR JILANI

Ambassador and Mrs. Jilani with officials from the U.S. administration at their farewell reception



The office of the Chief of protocol at the State Department hosted a farewell reception in honor of Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani. Speaking on behalf of the Administration, the Acting Deputy Secretary of State Ambassador Thomas Shannon and Acting Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan Ms. Laurel Miller lauded the services and contribution of Ambassador Jilani in strengthening the Pak US relations and promoting Pakistan's national interest in Washington DC. Ambassador Jilani thanked the State Department and all the officials from the Administration, the think tanks, academia and the diplomatic corps for making his farewell a memorable occasion. He said the excellent cooperation and continued support from the Department of State had contributed significantly in further cementing the bilateral ties. Ambassador Jilani expressed the hope that similar cooperation and support would be extended to his successor to take the relationship forward.

PAKISTAN AMERICAN BUSINESS ASSOCIATION (PABA) HOSTED A FAREWELL LUNCH FOR AMBASSADOR JALIL ABBAS JILANI Pakistan American Business Association (PABA) hosted a farewell lunch in honour of Ambassador Jilani. Mr. Siddique Sheikh, Chairman PABA paid a rich tribute to the Ambassador Jilani and acknowledged his efforts not only in promoting Pak-US relations to a higher level during his tenure but also for the welfare of Pakistani American community. Ambassador Jilani lauded the efforts made by PABA in promoting and strengthening economic and trade activities between Pakistan and the US over last 25 years. He reiterated that the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the US were on a solid track and looked extremely promising in near future. Right: Ambassador Jilani addressing guests at the farewell lunch hosted by PABA

AMBASSADOR JILANI HOSTED A LUNCHEON FOR DC-BASED PAKISTANI MEDIA

ANNUAL MEETINGS OF THE IMF/WB 2016



EMBASSY OUTREACH

The Embassy of Pakistan hosted a media interaction luncheon with Washington based Pakistani correspondents from print and electronic media to bid farewell to Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani. Ambassador Jilani thanked the correspondents for their cooperation over the last three years and appreciated the significant role played by them in promoting national interests of the country in the context of Pak-US bilateral relations. He briefed the journalists about the historic nature of Pakistan-U.S. relationship and his role in fostering a better understanding in the U.S. of Pakistan’s role and challenges in the global fight against terrorism. Ambassador Jilani underscored the renewed interest in Pakistan due to its recent economic turnaround adding that the country was looking forward to working closely with the new U.S. Administration.

AMBASSADOR JALIL ABBAS JILANI HOSTED A DINNER AND A BRIEFING SESSION FOR THE DC BASED WOMEN'S FOREIGN POLICY GROUP

Ambassador Jilani hosted a dinner and a briefing session for the DC based Women's Foreign Policy Group which comprises of prominent women leaders, activists corporate executives from Washington, and spouses of several Congressmen and diplomats. Ambassador Jilani briefed the group on a range of vital foreign policy issues particularly the Pak- U.S. relations and peace and stability in South Asia in the rapidly evolving regional scenario. He also spoke about the extremely positive results of Pakistan's effective military operations in the border region to eliminate terrorist outfits of all shades and colors. Ambassador added that the improved security situation in the country was contributing towards enhanced economic activity. He highlighted the Pakistan-U.S. shared a commitment to democracy, human rights, economic growth, and respect for international law being essential to long-term regional as well as global peace, stability, and prosperity. Ambassador Jilani reiterated Pakistan’s commitment to peace in the region and around the world

Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani and Mrs. Shaista Jilani addressing members of the Women’s Foreign Policy Group

and looked forward to continued U.S. cooperation and support.

EMBASSY OUTREACH


The Embassy of Pakistan and ‘All Neighbors’, a Virginia-based community organization, co-hosted a Christmas Celebrations Dinner at the embassy. The event was attended by a large number of participants including faith leaders, families of Pakistani American Christian community, officials of various U.S. government departments and American public. Virginia State Senator Mrs. Barbara Favola was the chief guest on the occasion. The Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh highlighted the sentiments of good will and harmony from the people of Pakistan to their fellow Christian community members in Pakistan and abroad. He informed the audience on Pakistan’s role in promoting interfaith harmony at international level. Acknowledging the important role played by the Christian community in the national development of Pakistan, he emphasized that they were equal citizens protected by the constitution. Religious leaders from different churches offered prayers on the occasion and expressed warms wishes of the Christian community for the people of Pakistan. A group of young children presented a cultural performance at the event while some participants narrated their positive impressions of the land and the people from their recent visits to Pakistan.

THE EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN HOSTED A CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION DINNER TO CONVEY FELICITATIONS & GOOD WISHES TO THE CHRISTIANS AROUND THE WORLD


EMBASSY OUTREACH

AMBASSADOR JILANI HOSTED MAINSTREAM U.S. CORRESPONDENTS AND BRIEFED THEM ON THE STATE OF PLAY IN PAK-U.S. RELATIONS

Ambassador Jilani hosted a New Year Luncheon for Washington based correspondents from U.S. print and electronic media. Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani welcomed the correspondents and briefed them on the state of play in Pak-U.S. relations. He underscored that Pakistan looked forward to working closely with the new U.S. administration. Pakistan had comprehensive and meaningful discussions with the outgoing Obama administration, while many amongst the new US administration, had good relations with Pakistan. Moreover, the convergence of interests between the two countries on a number of issues would strengthen the bilateral relation in future. Ambassador Jilani highlighted Pakistan’s successful anti-terrorism campaign of historic proportion and expressed the hope that Pak-U.S. cooperation would be further strengthened by revisiting the sale of F-16s and Coalition Fund issues.

Right: Ambassador Jilani with members of the mainstream U.S. media

AMBASSADOR JILANI HOSTED A TRAINING SESSION ON HOW TO RAPIDLY UPGRADE AND UPSCALE EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN BY USING BLENDED CLASSROOM TEACHING

Ambassador Jilani with attendees of the training session on how to rapidly upgrade and upscale education in Pakistan by using blended classroom teaching.

Ambassador Jilani hosted Innovative Development Strategies LLC for a presentation on how to quickly elevate the levels of training and education in Pakistan through blended internet and classroom based university level education and training programs. The ultimate objective of the approach is to reach out quickly to all the remote Universities of Pakistan with quality education imparted through these standardized programs. The session was attended by all Embassy officers.

Ambassador Jilani briefing the visiting team of Pakistani journalists

Ambassador Jilani welcomed a group of Pakistani media persons visiting the U.S. for coverage of presidential elections at the Embassy. While appreciating the keen interests shown by Pakistani media in the U.S. presidential election, the Ambassador said that it was a sure sign of progress media is making in Pakistan. During the interaction, Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani gave a detailed overview of the bilateral relations between Pakistan and the U.S.

A LARGE NUMBER OF PAKISTANI MEDIA PERSONS VISITING THE U.S. FOR COVERAGE OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS CALLED ON AMBASSADOR JILANI

EMBASSY OUTREACH

THE EMBASSY OF PAKISTAN, WASHINGTON DC ORGANIZED A THREE DAY EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS

The embassy organized a three day exhibition of paintings titled “The Secret Life of Trees” by Ms. Farida Haq. Inaugurating the exhibition, Ambassador Jillani stated that Pakistan had a rich and diverse cultural legacy. From Gandhara civilization in the north to Mohenjodaro in the South, Pakistan inherited one of the most culturally advanced civilizations of all times. “Our pervasive and resilient strain of Sufi culture remained a powerful force for tolerance, pluralism and coexistence”, the Ambassador added. A large number of Senior Officials of the U.S. State Department, members of Pakistani-American community, representatives of community organizations, senior military and civilian officials, and representatives of media viewed the exhibition on its inaugural day.


AMBASSADOR JILANI HOSTED PARTICIPANTS OF THE 54TH NAIMUN CONFERENCE, WASHINGTON DC

The Embassy hosted a group of students from Headstart, a private school in Islamabad, visiting the U.S. to participate in the 54th North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) conference. Ambassador Jilani welcomed the students at the Embassy and encouraged them to participate in the event with confidence and project a positive image of Pakistan. He engaged with the students individually and admired their efforts and serious commitment. Right: Ambassador Jilani with participants of the upcoming NAIMUM Conference

EMBASSY OUTREACH

THE EMBASSY HOSTED STUDENTS FROM PATTERSON SCHOOL OF DIPLOMACY, UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY

GLOBAL UNDERGRADUATE EXCHANGE PROGRAM STUDENTS VISITED THE EMBASSY

Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh and , Director Leadership Practice Program, IREX, Ms. Aimee Clancy addressing a group of Global Undergraduate Exchange Program Pakistani students The Embassy of Pakistan hosted a group of 94 Pakistani students under the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global-UGRAD). Ms. Aimee Clancy, Director Leadership Practice Program, IREX congratulated the successful Pakistani students upon their selection for Global-UGRAD Program 2017. Deputy Chief of Mission, Mr. Rizwan Saeed Sheikh said that educational exchange programs between Pakistan and the U.S. formed an evidence of long-standing partnership between the two countries. The increased collaboration between Pakistan and the U.S. in the field of education such as recently launched 'Experience Pakistan Project" was an exponent of experimental learning and a reflection of a burgeoning relationship between the two countries. Pakistan being the largest recipient of the program indicated continuity of mutually rewarding cooperation between the two countries.


EMBASSY OUTREACH


Minister Press, Abid Saeed and Press Attaché, Zoobia Masood with Wolf Blitzer at the ICFJ Annual Awards

AMBASSADOR JILANI APPEARED ON GEO TV’S "COMMUNITY DEBATE SHOW"

Ambassador Jilani appeared for an interview on GEO TV’s new series, ‘Community Debate Show’. The program is aimed at focusing on community issues and highlighting the achievements and contributions of Pakistani-Americans.

AMBASSADOR JILANI APPEARED ON AAJ TV’S WASHINGTON LIVE WITH ASIM SIDDIQUI

AMBASSADOR JILANI SPOKE TO MUJAHID BARELVI OF CHANNEL 24 ON PAKISTAN-U.S. RELATIONS IN LIGHT OF THE U.S. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, 2016

AMBASSADOR JILANI MET WITH MS. SULTANA SIDDIQUI, PRESIDENT HUM TV & MR. DURAID QURESHI, CEO HUM TV, PAKISTAN

Minister Press, Abid Saeed visited The Washington Post

Press Attaché, Zoobia Masood visited USA Today


DEFENCE

PAKISTAN NAVY HELD THE FIFTH MULTINATIONAL NAVAL EXERCISE AMAN-2017

The 5th Multinational Naval Exercise AMAN-2017 organized by Pakistan Navy took place in Karachi. Navies of 37 countries participated out of which 09 incuding Australia, China, Indonesia, Turkey, Sri Lanka, UK, USA, Japan and Russia participated with naval assets. During the exercise participating units rehearsed various naval operations to enhance mutual understanding and regional stability. The exercise also helped in enhancing Pakistan Navy’s interoperability with regional and extra regional navies thereby acting as a bridge between the regions. Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony of AMAN-2017. The Prime Minister was briefed on the overall conduct and operational perspective of the exercise and was given a detailed account of the sea based activities. He also witnessed different operational serials of the exercise conductedat sea by participating naval ships, aircraft, helicopters and PAF fighter jets. Expressing his satisfaction, Prime Minister Sharif lauded the strenuous efforts of Pakistan Navy for the successful conduct of AMAN-17, which is a manifestation of Pakistan’s policy of constructive engagement with the comity of nations for peace and stability in the maritime commons. He further added that presence of a large number of foreign navies is reflective of the confidence of world navies in Pakistan. He added that with this state of operational readiness, Pakistan Navy is fully prepared and committed to ensure seaward defence and safeguard maritime interests of Pakistan.

DEFENCE


PAKISTAN NAVY TOOK OVER THE COMMAND OF COMBINED TASK FORCE 151(CTF-151) FOR

THE 8TH TIME

Pakistan Navy assumed the Command of Multinational Combined Task Force 151 (CTF-151) from Republic of Korea (RoK) Navy at the U.S. Naval Central Command Headquarters in Bahrain. This is the 8th time that Pakistan Navy has taken over the command of this important task force responsible for counter piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and Horn of Africa under the overall ambit of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). Speaking on the Occasion, PN Commander Combined Task Force-151 Commodore Muhammad ShuaibSI(M) stated that the world was passing through uncertain and unpredictable times, where diverse threats confronted the international navigation at the high seas. Piracy continued to present an intricate and extraordinary threat that impacted the freedom of navigation, trade, global security and stability. Commodore Shuaib stressed that no single nation could resolve this menace, as piracy has been a common threat which could only be addressed through collaborative international efforts. Commodore Shuaib assured that his team was fully prepared to shoulder this critical responsibility as part of Pakistan's contribution towards the safety and security of the oceans. CCTF-151 also lauded the outgoing RoK Navy R.Adm Nam Dong Woo and reaffirmed his resolve to continue operations with same zeal and professional commitment.

Commodore Muhammad Shuaib SI(M), took over Command of combined task Force 151 from Rear Admiral Nam Dong Woo, of the Republic of Korea Navy

COMMUNITY NEWS

Dr. Rashid A. Chotani won the NATO Science and Technology Organization’s "Scientific Achievement Award 2016". He was recognised as part of the Research Task Group (RTG) for State-of-the-Art research on Medical countermeasures against Biological Agents. Dr. Chotani is a renowned Pakistani-American doctor who has worked in the healthcare industry, government and academia, therapeutic and diagnostic countermeasures, advanced development of vaccines, and bio-surveillance. As a senior scientist, Dr. Chotani has spent more than 20 years in providing bio-security and public health expertise to both public agencies and private industry. He is a recognized expert in the identification, surveillance and diagnosis of human and zoonotic infectious diseases.

DR. RASHID A. CHOTANI WON THE NATO SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ORGANIZATION’S “SCIENTIFIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD 2016"

Dr. Rashid A. Chotani


EMBASSY BADE FAREWELL TO AMBASSADOR JALIL ABBAS JILANI

EMBASSY OFFICERS HOSTED A FAREWELL RECEPTION IN HONOUR OF AMBASSADOR JILANI

AMBASSADOR JILANI RECEIVED A FAREWELL GIFT FROM DCM RIZWAN SAEED SHEIKH ON BEHALF OF EMBASSY OFFICERS

ofembassyofpakistanusa.org/.../05/Newsletter_November-2016-Februa… · Embassy Newsletter Sept-Oct...

Documents

Transcript of ofembassyofpakistanusa.org/.../05/Newsletter_November-2016-Februa… · Embassy Newsletter Sept-Oct...