Pakistan Link/Urdu Link & Safeer-e-Pakistan Team up to Organize Scintillating Pakistan Day Celebrations

Anaheim , CA: To commemorate the Pakistan Resolution Day, a grand festival/mela was organized by Pakistan Link/Urdu Link and Safeer-e-Pakistan at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, California, on March 22, 2015. 

The most subscribed nationwide Pakistani-American newspapers, Pakistan Link/Urdu Link and the most widely watched/popular TV show on GEO TV Network, Safeer-e-Pakistan have partnered many times before to bring mega events to the Pakistani American community, such as Pakistan Resolution Day and Independence Day festivals and parades.  Both have also partnered in the past on several occasions with the Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce (PACC).  

This special event was held for the entire family and marked the success of the painstaking and sustained efforts of the organizers. According to many attendees it was the best organized event in the history of Southern California. Thousands attended the event from late morning till closing in the evening. Big and small Pakistan flags could be seen everywhere. A large Pakistan flag was hoisted in the center of the event ground for the flag-hoisting ceremony. The stage was also beautifully decorated with American and Pakistani flags. 

The event was made more special with the attendance of a large number of dignitaries including Consul General of Pakistan Hamid Asghar Khan as Chief Guest, Chairman House Foreign Affairs Committee Congressman Ed Royce as guest of honor, Deputy Consul General of Pakistan Qamar Abbas Khokhar, US Congresswoman Judy Chu, California Senator Tony Mendoza, LAPD Chief Michael Downing, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich, Artesia Mayor Miguel Canales, Artesia Councilmember Ali Sajjad Taj, Representative of the office of Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez, LAPD Officer Shawn Alexander, and many high ranking officials of LAPD and Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Many prominent community members and organizations joined in with the organizers to hold the successful event and were duly thanked by the hosts Arif Mansuri, Fatima Khan and Waqar Ali Khan in their speeches. 

To exhibit the Pakistani culture, almost a hundred vendor booths were set up that featured clothes, jewelry, CDs/DVDs, artifacts, handicrafts, sports goods, South Asian channels, banking establishments, healthcare products and services, along with a large list of items and products to appeal to all families. Halal and vegetarian delicacies were also served by famous restaurants.

Arif Zaffar Mansuri and Fatima Khan were the emcees for the event. At the beginning of the program a Scottish marching band played joyous tunes and led the guests from the stage area, which was located under a huge canopy, to the flag-hoisting area in the event ground, where most of the booths were set up.  The program started with a beautiful recitation from the Holy Qur’an and its translation by Mohammed Akbar Khan. Mansuri welcomed the guests and spoke about the significance of the Day. He then invited his co-host Waqar Ali Khan to speak. Congressman Ed Royce, Congresswoman Judy Chu, Artesia Mayor Miguel Canales, Artesia Councilmember Ali Sajjad Taj and CG Hamid Asghar Khan also spoke at the occasion. Arshad Kazmi presented an illuminated copy of the Bill of Rights to Congressman Ed Royce. After playing of the national anthem of the United States of America, the national anthem of Pakistan was played as Consul General Hamid Asghar Khan raised the Pakistani flag to full-staff. The crowd welcomed the colorful presentation and proudly joined in to sing the national anthems of the United States and Pakistan.
The Scottish marching band then led the guests back to the stage area under the canopy, where speeches and festivities continued. Fatima Khan invited all the speakers to line up on the stage including FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Bowdich, Aif Zaffar Mansuri, Waqar Ali Khan, President Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce Zubair Ro, Pakistan Link/Urdu Link Editor-in-Chief Akhtar Mahmud Faruqui, Deputy  CG Qamar Abbas Khokhar and CG Hamid Asghar Khan. After the speeches Arif Z. Mansuri invited the Pakistan Link/Urdu Link team to the stage which included, Editor-in-Chief Akhtar Mahmud Faruqui, Urdu Link Resident Editor Anwar Khawaja and Urdu Link Editor Shabbir Ghori. 
After the speeches, a musical concert featuring the versatile and very popular singer from New York Afzal Haider, Nauman Khalid, Shaista Alam, Saima and her brother, Arshad and Shazia Ali, Kamal and Raom Roy enthralled the audience and thoroughly energized the crowd. Many attendees danced to many of the songs throughout the several-hour long musical entertainment program. Another highlight of the proceedings was a segment featuring performances by kids and ladies who sang several songs which added to the festive mood of the day. A special performance by volunteers at the event generated a great deal of interest and the crowd greatly enjoyed these performances.

There was a lot for the children to do at the event - rides, jumpers, kid's area and games were all big hits with the children. A major attraction was the chu chu train that circled the event ground all day and according to some accounts was as popular with the adults as the children! 
People of all origins attended the Pakistan Resolution Day celebration and truly enjoyed the culture, heritage and hospitality provided by the Southern-California Pakistani community. The organizers proudly stated that the  Pakistan Resolution Day celebrations were made possible through the support of Pakistan Consulate, Los Angeles, and generous sponsor: Pakistan American Chamber of Commerce, State Farm Insurance (Shakeel Insurance Agency), Emirates Airlines, MONA, NetSol, SNS Designs, Rex International, Hab Bank, Zubair Rao, Farooq Ghias, Dr. Naseem Malik, Dr Razaq Chaudhry, Ghazala Khan and last but not least, our youth coordinators and volunteers who joined the past, present and the future of Pakistan on March 22, 2015 at the Phoenix Club in Anaheim, California.
This year’s Resolution Day manifested our Faith, our Unity, and our Discipline as stated by our Great Leader, Quaid-i-Azam, “Our object should be peace within, and peace without. We want to live peacefully and maintain cordial friendly relations with our immediate neighbors and with the world at large.”