FOP President Addresses Press Conference

FOP President Sarfaraz Khan (center) addresses the press conference

Lakewood, CA: A press release issued by Friends of Pakistan following a press conference addressed by their President Sarfaraz Khan, states:
“…As you know, we have announced to build a state-of-the-art ‘Community Center’ for our people in which we will provide a number of services to our community, and as you know this was needed for a long time. We took this initiative and pledged ourselves to this noble cause.
“However, last week we found out that the Pakistan Chambers of Commerce announced and published an ad in the newspaper that they are starting to build a Pakistan Center. As I have said before, we (FOP) are a uniter not a divider.
“So, now we have decided to put a hold on our project to avoid duplication of efforts with the Chambers of Commerce Pakistan Center project, but there is a condition that we see progress. We in the FOP will keep the community abreast with the Chambers of Commerce Pakistan Center progress. If we do not see progress towards a ‘Functional Pakistan Center’ within a reasonable timeline, then we will reinitiate our Community/Cultural Center project. We are going to set up a process in which we will keep our community informed of their progress.
Independence Day Celebrations
“On August 12th, 2006, was a historical day in California’s history when the Friends of Pakistan organized in a grand level to celebrate Pakistan’s 59th independence day in the Exposition Park, Los Angeles where thousands of Pakistani-Americans witnessed their presence, with the same spirit and demand from our beloved Pakistani-American community, today Friends of Pakistan announces that we will be organizing Pakistan’s 60th Independence Day with dignity and honor where every Pakistani-American will feel a real attachment his motherland.
“As I said before, we believe that our success will come from being united with one voice and we should have one Pakistan Day program. So I am asking every individual and organization to join in with us and make this program the most successful program.
“We in the FOP will personally reach out to every individual, organization, business and government officials to join in and show the world that we can work together for betterment of our community in the United States. We want our Pakistani government officials to join hands and support us in our efforts to unite the community, which will make us a stronger community.
“Finally, I am urging everyone not to play politics within our community. Our community members are honest, hard working & innocent and we’ll not allow any individual or a group to make fool of our community.
Pakistani media in the United States are doing a great service to the community and we are grateful to them for spreading the words through their network and we affirm our support to them.
“Mr. Tariq Altaf will be the spokesperson of the Friends of Pakistan.”

 

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