News
Thursday, February 09, 2012
PM Gilani lays foundation stone of ‘new embassy’ in DohaDOHA: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of a new building of the Pakistan embassy in Doha, Qatar.
Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister urged the officials and staff working at the embassy to work for promoting a soft image of the country abroad.
He said Pakistan valued its relations with Qatar and called upon the Pakistani diplomats to contribute in strengthening these ties.
Pakistan's Ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Sarfraz Ahmed Khanzada said Pakistan and Qatar as a team could work towards the development and prosperity of both the countries.
He said Pakistani expatriates were playing a positive role in the progress of the Gulf state.
The Qatar government has provided 8,143 square metres of land free of cost for the building and will also bear the expenditures of construction.
The construction will be done by NESPAK within a period of two years.
Later, while addressing a function at the Pakistan Eduation Centre, Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistani students living abroad were the ambassadors of their country and must do their best in bringing a good name to their homeland.
PM Gilani announced a $100,000 donation for the centre that is catering to educational needs of 3,000 students.
He called upon the students to work hard and achieve great results to ensure a bright future for Pakistan and noted that students who had got their education from this centre were serving in different fields and were participating in the development and progress of Qatar.
He said the father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had urged the younger generation to work tirelessly and concentrate on their education so that they could serve the nation and the Muslim Ummah by being good citizens, doctors, scientists and engineers.
Gilani expressed pleasure over the efforts made by the institution for inculcating amongst the students the love for their home country and an identity in Qatar.
He described the school as a ‘mini-Pakistan’, which was catering to the basic educational needs for Pakistani students there.
He also appreciated the government of Qatar for its "open-hearted support" to the institute.
Prime Minister Gilani said measures taken by the government of Qatar for spreading education in their country had been acknowledged by the world and Doha's education city had attained international recognition.
He asked Pakistani students and teachers to do all they could to help their host country in this matter.
Prime Minister Gilani also lauded the fact that the expatriate community in Qatar had risen above petty differences and were not affected by political, religious, sectarian and linguistic divisions.
He urged the students to treat Qatar as their second home and to abide by its laws and cultural norms.
The prime minister also distributed prizes among the distinguished students.
The event was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Petroleum and Natural Resources Dr Asim Hussain, Minister for Technical and Vocational Education Riaz Hussain Pirzada, National Assembly member Munir Aurakzai and Pakistan's Ambassador to Qatar Muhammad Sarfraz Ahmed Khanzada. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk