Expatriate Pakistanis to celebrate Independence Day

DUBAI // Pakistanis will celebrate 67 years since the formation of their country with traditional music, dance and art this week.

The Pakistan Association Dubai (Pad) has organised a two-day art exhibition for this year’s Independence Day, which is Thursday, aimed at promoting talent from the country.

“Independence Day is very important to all Pakistanis because that is where we get our identity from,” said Faisel Ikram, general secretary of Pad.

“This time of year we always think about the sacrifices made by those who helped to create Pakistan and it’s important to develop that bond of community.

“At the founding of the nation, Muhammad Ali Jinnah called for a nation built upon unity, faith and discipline, and that is something we want to promote.

“It’s very important, especially for the younger generation who have been born and raised in the UAE, to understand where they come from and their customs.”

An Urdu poetry session at the Pad centre in Bur Dubai last Friday launched this year’s festivities, with the main celebrations due to take place in the auditorium of the Pakistan Education Academy on Thursday from 8.30pm.

“Although many people are still away on holiday during August we expect up to 500 to attend the event,” said Mr Ikram. “There will be a lot for people to do.

“The theme for the event is unity and we will be unveiling a specially made banner highlighting that.”

The event will also be attended by Pakistan’s ambassador, Asif Durrani, and Javed Jalil Khattak, the country’s consul general.

Expatriates hope this year’s Independence Day celebrations will herald a bright future for Pakistan.

“We had our first transfer of power between civilian governments when Nawaz Sharif took office and I hope things will start to look up now,” said Iftikar Shah, a finance consultant living in Dubai.

“Independence Day is the most important celebration for Pakistan I think because it gives us a sense of who we are and where we came from.

“For most Pakistanis it’s a day that we celebrate with family and friends as it usually falls on a work day.

“The atmosphere is amazing back in Pakistan, where it is a public holiday, and a lot of expats tend to go home over the summer and celebrate the day there. I’ll most likely be going out with friends for a meal after work to celebrate.”

The embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai will have a flag-raising ceremony on Thursday at 8am, followed by a lunch.

On Wednesday, the Mussawwir Art Gallery in Al Quoz will host an exhibition by expat artists, organised by Pad’s newly formed Arts and Photography Club.

“The idea is to show people what Pakistani artists are capable of,” said Mr Ikram.

“Money raised from the sale of the artwork will go to the association and we will use it to help fund future Pad projects and events.”

The guest of honour will be Javed Malik, Pakistan’s special envoy for overseas investment and trade.

The exhibition will focus on the work of artists Nazar Haidri and Irfan Mirza.

nhanif@thenational.ae