Friends of Pakistan Link Celebrate US Independence Day
Los Angeles: To celebrate the 245th anniversary of American independence, the Friends of Pakistan Link (FOPL) hosted American and Pakistani officials, businesspeople, civil society, celebrities, and friends for a celebration that included speeches, music, traditional Pakistani food, face painting, and vendors selling Pakistani clothing, jewelry, arts, crafts, and other merchandise.
The event was held at Mile Square Park in Fountain Valley, California, and was very well attended by the Pakistani American community in the Southland.
The event’s guest of honor was the Consul General of Pakistan Mr Abdul Jabbar Memon, who highlighted the common values underpinning the US and Pakistani friendship and the shared goals of the two countries in his eloquent speech.
Other special guests included California State Senator Mr Josh Newman, Artesia City Council Member and former Mayor Mr Ali Sajjad Taj, Anaheim Mayor Harry Sidhu, City of Chowchilla Council Member Mr A Waseem, California State Assembly Member Mr Isaac Bryan, County Supervisor of Riverside Jeff Hewitt, and Director Water District City of Corona, Fauzia Siddiqui Rizvi.
Emcee Rohida Khan opened the event by inviting Adil Siddiq for a recitation of the Holy Qur’an. It was followed by the singing of the US national anthem by Sharis Rhodes and the Pakistan national anthem by Arshad Ali.
The US Pledge of Allegiance was subsequently presented by the members of the American Pakistani Youth Council (APYC), which included Obeer Qazi, Adil Siddiq, Malaika Jamal, Zayneb Qazi, Aymen Mehmood, Sophia Rao, Alina Ahmed, and Maaz Khan along with Malaika Naveed and Ahsan Naveed who were dressed as the Statue of Liberty and Uncle Sam respectively. Later in the program, the APYC members presented a game involving questions about US history, which was really enjoyed by the audience and was one of the main highlights of the day’s proceedings.
The Founder and Chairman of the Friends of Pakistan Link (FOPL), Arif Mansuri, then thanked the sponsors of the event, which included Pakistan Link-Urdu Link, Jamal Khawaja of JFK Realty & Loan Depot, Kamal Zafar, Nadim Junejo of Hub Bank, Fawad Ismail of Wallis Bank, and Saleem Hai.
Mansuri then introduced the Board of Directors of FOPL, which included Samin and Rubina Faruqui, Jamal and Fawzia Khawaja, Robert and Rohida Khan, Almas and Abida Ahmed, Naveed and Darakhshan Malik, Jawaid and Naushaba Butt, Firoze and Yasmin Qasim, Tariq and Raheela Mahmood, Tasneem Rehmani, Kamal Zafar, Mustaqim Syed, and Zille Huma Zaman.
Well-known Pakistani actor and comedian Ayaz Khan entertained the audience with jokes and skits and received tremendous welcome and applause from the audience. Robert Fox sang American national songs which were greatly liked and applauded by the audience. Arshad and Shazi Ali, Mohammad Rashid, Ismail Bharmal, and Anwar Memon sang Pakistani songs which were thoroughly enjoyed by the audience.
A sumptuous lunch prepared by Arif and Yasmin Malik was enjoyed by all. The Independence Day celebrations turned out to be a memorable occasion for all and sundry present in the Mile Square Park that day.
