Meeting of Pakistani Community with Minister of State for Maritime Affairs

Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, Minister of State for Maritime Affairs, who is currently visiting Rome to participate in the Technical Consultations on the Marking of Fishing Gear (5-9 February, 2018) at FAO, met members of the Pakistani community at the Embassy today.

The visiting Minister was warmly welcomed by the members of the community. After recitation of the Holy Quran, the President of the Pakistan Federation of Italygave an overview of the Pakistani community living in Italy. He highlighted the problems faced by overseas Pakistanis while visiting Pakistan and requested the Minister to approach the concerned authorities for their early resolution.He expressed satisfaction at the work done by the Embassy and the Consulate for the community.

In his address, the Minister spoke about the initiatives of the Government for the development of the country. He shared his experiences of living as an expatriate in Norway. Terming overseas Pakistanis as a valuable asset,he urged them to conduct themselves in a manner which brings a good name to Pakistan. He assured the expatriates that he would approach the concerned authorities in Pakistan for redressal of their grievances.

The event was attended by a large number of community members, some of whom had travelled from far flung areas of Italy. The Minister mingled with the community members, and answered their queries. His frank and personal interaction with the community was deeply appreciated.

The Minister also exclusively addressed the officers and officials of the Embassy. While applauding the excellent services being providedby the Embassy, he urged the Embassy staff to go the extra mile to help the community members and work for the prosperity of Pakistan.

Rome,
7th February, 2018