A Memorable Pakistan
Independence Day in Arizona
By Yousuf Bhuvad
Glimpses of Pakistan Independence
Day celebrations in Chandler, Arizona |
The Pakistani American
community in Arizona celebrated the 60th Independence Day
of Pakistan on August 25th, 2007 with more vigor, fervor,
zeal and vibrancy than ever before. Organized by the dedicated
group of community volunteers, this event took place in
the Chandler Center for the Arts, a prestigious venue donated
by the City of Chandler.
Over 1100 people of Pakistani and diverse origins attended
the joyous event. The objective of the program was to celebrate
the 60th birthday of Pakistan while raising awareness about
the rich heritage of Pakistan , reaching out to community-at-large
and, above all raising funds for the recent natural disasters
in Pakistan .
Sahara Qureshi and Aqeel Shahid served as the Master of
Ceremonies. They eloquently managed the sequence of the
program and played a key role in reminding the audience
from time to time to contribute for the noble cause.
The program began with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an
by Salman Ahmad followed by its translation by Lubna Ahmad.
Terry Yu sang the US National anthem followed by the Pakistan
National anthem sung by Mansoor Johar .
Dr. Sohail Qureshi, one of the organizers of the event,
elaborated on the objectives and key objectives of the program.
His presentation included a speech by Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed
Ali Jinnah that he delivered on August 15th 1947. He highlighted
the accomplishments of the Pakistani-American community
in Arizona known for its philanthropy work, professional
occupations, affluence and education.
Arif Kazmi, the President of the Asian American Association,
recognized and introduced to the audience various dignitaries
and honorable guests from the City and the State of Arizona.
He expressed his gratitude to the City of Chandler for consistently
supporting the Pakistan Independence Day programs for the
past several years and taking care of the needs of the Pakistani
community in Chandler. The City will soon provide a cricket
field where Pakistani Americans can enjoy their favorite
sport.
Show of love for Pakistan |
The keynote speaker,
honorable Council member Mayor and Council representative
Bob Caccamo, acknowledged the contribution of the vibrant
Pakistani community. He talked about the history of the
city of Chandler in the past 20 years and the contributions
made by the Pakistani-American community in all sectors
of life.
The musical performance started sharp 8:30 pm with Kinsa
Noor, a young and upcoming pop performer from Pakistan,
entertaining the audience with her songs and keeping the
audience engaged.
Jimmy Attre, the grandson of Rashid Attre, sang songs from
his latest album “Zamana Nazuk Hai”. His melodious
music of modern times rocked the show, especially the children.
Muna Liazza, the Pakistani drama serial actor and performer,
added a new feature to the show with her superb dance performances.
Her medley combined the tunes and songs from the various
parts of Pakistan and ended with a patriotic number from
“Junoon”.
Alamgir truly won the hearts of both young and old by his
magical performance singing with heart and soul exuberating
energy and emotions seldom seen in this city. The nostalgic
songs like “Koko Koreena” brought back old memories
and patriotic songs like “Khyal Rakhna” touched
the hearts of the audience. The program ended with all the
performers singing together “Jeevay Pakistan”
with the organizers of the show.
The community contributed $4,600 for the natural disaster
relief with additional money still pouring in.
Overall, this was a memorable night for the Pakistani-American
community in Arizona . They celebrated the 60th birthday
of Pakistan and raised money for the flood victims in the
country.
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