SILMIYA YOUSUF
COLOMBO:Major General Umar Farook Burki, High Commissioner for Pakistan said here that his country is keen on establishing people to people contact between citizens of Pakistan and Sri Lanka .
The envoy was speaking at a charity event on Monday where the mission distributed dry rations to the needy people from all faiths .
The event was channeled through Colombo Times,a popular News website in Sri Lanka.
Major General Umar Farook Burki, personally distributed the gift packets to the beneficiaries from all faiths.
Those present included Counselor Consular Affairs Faisal Ali Khan, Kulsoom Jailani press attache and R Khan from the Pakistan mission, Chief Editor of Colombo Times Mohammed Rasooldeen, President of the All-Ceylon YMMA Conference, Saheed M Rismy, Young Women’s Muslim Association, YWMA, President Fawaza Thaha and Khalid M Farouk former president of the YMMA Conference.
Last week, the high commissioner gifted a total of 14 sewing machines among single mothers and widows at the same YMMA auditorium.
The envoy said he initiated the dry ration program to help the deserving people at these difficult times in Sri Lanka. “ We are working on a project to supply potable water to the people who are in remote villages,” he added.
Speaking further, High Commissioner Burki said : “ Efforts must be made to uplift the living standards of the women and enable them to do their part in making the society a better place for our future generations. Once Napoleon said “Give me good mothers I will give you good nation”
“ Investing in women now is actually our investment in our future economic progress. Empowering women sets a direct path towards poverty eradication and economic growth of the whole society. Women make enormous contributions to the economy; whether in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home.”
Speaking about Lanka-Pakistan relations, Burki said that the relations between Pakistan and Sri Lanka are standing firmly on the pillars of mutual trust, respect, and desire to promote friendship. He pointed out that this relationship is independent of any compulsions.
In his introductory remarks, Mohammed Rasooldeen said that he was glad that the gifts are channeled through the Colombo Times which has a social obligation to serve the Sri Lankan community irrespective of race or religion. He added that the website has reached readers from all parts of the world including the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and countries such as Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia without forgetting the Maldives. “ We are crossing 1.5 million page-views within a short span of time,” he concluded.(Photos by Ashraff A Samad, A S M Javid and Mohammed Nasar)
