On the auspicious occasion of Independence Day of Pakistan, Embassy of Pakistan in Niamey, Niger celebrated 71st Independence Day on 14th August, 2018. In order to celebrate Independence day with National zeal and in befitting manner, Pakistan Embassy started the day with hoisting of National Flag in the morning of 14th August of 2018, which was attended by Pakistani community members residing in Niger and neibhouring countries such as Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Ghana and some prominent local dignitaries.
In the evening Mr. K.K. Ahsan Wagan, Head of Mission hosted a reception at Embassy, which was attended by few members of National Assembly, who are also members of Pak-Niger Parliamentary Friendship Group in the National Assembly of Niger, some resident Diplomats, local dignitaries, media representatives and Pakistan community members. Speaking on the auspicious occasion of 71st Independence Day of Pakistan, Mr. Wagan, welcomed the dignitaries and convey best wishes to Pakistan community members on this happy and joyous occasion. He read out the messages of the President and Prime Minister of Pakistan. In his personal remarks, he highlighted sacrifices made by the Muslim of Sub-Continent to acquire a separate homeland for Muslims where the can spend their lives according to their beliefs and aspirations. He paid a rich tribute to the founding fathers of Pakistan, who played a pivotal role in realizing dreams of Millions of Muslims of Sub-Continent. He further stated that "let us pay homage to our leaders of the independence movement who struggled with great courage and perseverance to win us a country of our own. Because of their sacrifices, today we are enjoying the fruits of freedom. It is surely an occasion for immense gratitude. It is the day for renewing our pledge to the country and our leadership to spend our lives as envisioned by our founding fathers".
He acknowledged with satisfaction the role played by the Pakistani community in Niger in upholding the image of Pakistan through their hard work and dedication. Although, the Pakistani community not in a big number residing in the Niger but still contributing in the fields such as Medicine, Engineering, IT, Business etc which is a great source of strength for us. He urged them to continue to perform their productive role in the development of Niger with dedication and zeal.
According to Mr. Wagan, Pakistan possess all natural resources including fresh water rivers, ocean, mountains, vast agricultural fields, rich natural resource base and a population of 207 million. All these factors are greatly contributing towards the development and progress of the country. Pakistan being a member of many regional and international organizations plays an important role in the comity of nations and is significantly contributing for the preservation of regional as well as
international peace and security. The government of Pakistan is committed to bring peace, progress, prosperity and development as envisioned by our forefathers. He also talked about recent elections in Pakistan and stated that smooth transition of power from one elected government to next elected government will take place soon.
Commenting on Pakistan and Niger bilateral relations, he was of the view that both countries are enjoying excellent bilateral relations which are based on solid foundations of mutual faith and commonality of views on various regional and international issues. These brotherly relations are spread over more than 40 years and Pakistan has supported Niger in various areas including Education and Training, Food and Security and mutual support of each other at various regional/international fora. On this happy occasion, he also conveyed sincere greetings to His Excellency Mr. Issoufou Mahamadou, President, Republic of Niger, His Excellency Mr. Brigi Rafini, Prime Minister and the brotherly people of Niger and wished them continued peace, progress and prosperity.
In the end, the participants were shown a documentary on Pakistan depicting rich cultural heritage, major tourist attractions, economic strength and achievements in various sectors of Pakistan's economy and other fields including Defence. It generated lot of interests of the dignitaries and created huge awareness about Pakistan.
Niamey, 15th August, 2018