DUBAI // As Pakistani expatriates prepare to mark their 61st independence day tomorrow, the local community centre in Dubai promises that next year they will be celebrating in a brand new complex. The Pakistan Association in Dubai said a plan was in place for a club to be built at the present community centre area on Oud Metha Road.
"Hopefully, Pakistanis will be able to celebrate independence day next year in a new, air-conditioned hall," said Syed Sabir Hussain, the general secretary of the Pakistan Association in Dubai. The project would take place in three phases, said Mr Hussain. The first phase would be a multi-purpose hall that will accommodate more than 800 people. "The hall will be used for public shows, sports and marriage functions in the community," he said.
The second phase would be the construction of food courts, swimming pools, a gymnasium and four-star living areas available at a reasonable price for visitors. The final phase would be the construction of an office area for the members. "If all goes as planned, then we should be able to start work by the end of this month," said Mr Hussain. Community leaders appealed for a bigger consulate and better facilities during the visit to the UAE last month of the Pakistani prime minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Syed Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Pakistan's minister for labour, manpower and overseas Pakistanis, visited the community centre during the trip and promised the new democratic government in Pakistan would do more for the social development of the community. "We are all looking forward to the new centre with the latest amenities," said Inayat ur Rahman, the joint secretary of the Pakistan Association in Dubai. "I also request all the Pakistanis in the field of construction to come and co-operate in the project."
The association said the facilities would be available to all members at a cost of Dh1,000 (US$272) for a period of 10 years. "All Pakistanis would welcome the new centre and many more people would visit the club too," said Ahmed Sharif, a Pakistani expatriate in Dubai. "I do not visit the community centre because it is congested and has no facilities." Pakistani community centres in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi have been closed for several years, but have finally been given the go-ahead to reopen, say members.
The Pakistani Association in Dubai is planning cultural activities to celebrate independence day, although no major function will be held on Aug 14 due to concerns about overcrowding. However, a spokesman for the Pakistan embassy in the UAE said a flag-hoisting ceremony would take place at 8am on the day at the embassy in Abu Dhabi and the consulate in Dubai. The Pakistan Social Centre in Sharjah is also planning a cultural event, which will include singing the national anthem and the reading of poems by schoolchildren, and a number of other events have been planned during the month to commemorate the day.
"We will invite eminent speakers from Pakistan for a discussion on August 16, to talk about the importance of independence," said Mr Hussain. "On August 29, we will have a variety show in which singers and comedians will be invited." The celebrations will take place against a background of tension in Pakistan, Mr Rahman said. "No one is safe in Pakistan and my children are scared to go back on vacation after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto," he said.
"However, we will try to celebrate the independence day with as much enthusiasm as possible." @Email:pmenon@thenational.ae
