Pakistanis have celebrated deep bonds with their home country and the UAE during Independence Day celebrations that drew them together across the Emirates.
Shafqat Ali Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE, said commitment and love for the motherland was cause for celebration and a major focus of the 79th anniversary celebrations on Friday of independence from British rule.
“For us as a nation, Pakistan’s Independence Day is an occasion of immense pride,” he told The National. “My message to our community is to continue upholding the highest standards of professionalism and to respect the laws, traditions and values of their gracious host country.”
The celebrations, with performances by schoolchildren at the Pakistan embassy and consulate, showed the community coming together in a spirit of unity and gratitude to the UAE.
Enduring UAE links
More than 2.2 million Pakistanis live and work in the UAE, and the ambassador described the community as the “strongest pillars of the enduring Pakistan-UAE relationship”.
He said the festivities were an opportunity to acknowledge their significant contribution to the UAE.
“My message to our community is to continue upholding the highest standards of professionalism, to respect the laws, traditions and values of their gracious host country,” Mr Khan said.
“The welfare of Pakistanis in the UAE remains one of the government of Pakistan’s highest priorities. We remain in regular and constructive engagement with the UAE authorities on matters related to our community. Our efforts are focused on ensuring that legitimate travellers, professionals, investors and workers continue to have opportunities in the UAE.”
Gratitude to Emirates
He expressed thanks to the UAE government for taking care of the accommodation expenses of a large number of Pakistanis stranded at the airports during the initial weeks of the Iran-US war.
Expressing gratitude to the UAE for its “unprecedented gesture of generosity”, Mr Khan also thanked the government for handling medical care for the injured.
“I also want to place on record our deepest gratitude to the UAE government for the exceptional care and treatment extended to our injured nationals, including the top-tier medical attention provided by hospitals across the Emirates,” he said.
The ambassador said Pakistan could positively contribute to de-escalation in the regional conflict with sustained diplomatic engagement to create space for dialogue and lasting peace.
“Pakistan is well positioned to make a constructive contribution to regional peace and security, in line with the UAE’s strong commitment to stability and de-escalation,” Mr Khan said.
“Pakistan stands ready to work alongside the UAE and other GCC partners in promoting restraint, encouraging dialogue and reinforcing the conditions necessary for lasting security and stability across the Middle East and the wider GCC region. Our shared interest in a peaceful neighbourhood underpins this constructive approach.”
UAE ties
There have been 15 deals with the UAE on ports, logistics, food security, banking, minerals and energy.
“A particularly important milestone is the UAE leadership’s pledge of a $10 billion investment commitment in Pakistan,” Mr Khan said. “The focus now is on identifying commercially viable, high-impact projects that can translate the strong political goodwill between our two countries into tangible economic outcomes.”
He said Pakistan and the UAE were continuing discussions in sectors including infrastructure development and railway modernisation, and exploring opportunities in the halal meat trade.
Mr Khan said Independence Day was a joyous occasion to reflect on the collective resolve of the Pakistani people.
“As Pakistan navigates the challenges and opportunities of a changing world, it is this spirit of unity and collective resolve that will carry us forward towards socio-economic progress, stability and prosperity for future generations,” he said in an address to the community.
“The long-standing fraternal relationship between Pakistan and the UAE, founded on shared values, mutual trust and deep people-to-people ties, continues to grow from strength to strength across the political, economic, investment, defence and cultural domains. The UAE remains one of Pakistan's most valued partners, and a cherished second home for generations of Pakistanis.”
