Rahat Rocks the UN General Assembly on Pakistan Day
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Rocks the UN General Assembly on Pakistan Day, 23 March 2016
Written by: Staff Report Posted on: March 23, 2016 | | 中文
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan rocks the UN General Assembly
The UN General Assembly walls resounded with Sufi music on Pakistan Day as Rahat Fateh Ali Khan electrified the crowd into a delirium of ecstasy and spontaneous dancing. Dr Maleeha Lodhi, our Permanent Representative to the UN, had put up a show, never seen in this august house before.
Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Dr. Maleeha Lodhi with Under-Secretary-General Christina Gallach and staff members
H.E. Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the UN sent a video recorded message of congratulations, in which he said, “What a wonderful way to celebrate Pakistan’s National Day’”, and added, “Tonight the halls of the General Assembly will resound with the Sufi message of oneness, a message of peace and compassion, of understanding and harmony”. He concluded with a quote from “the great Punjabi Sufi poet Bulleh Shah, ‘let us walk the road of peace’.” Dr Lodhi welcomed the guests, and mentioned that for the first time Pakistan Day was being celebrated in the United Nations General Assembly. She stated that it was “appropriate at a time when a strengthened and more resilient democracy is powering Pakistan’s journey to a brighter future”.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message at the Pakistan Day celebration
Ambassador Lodhi had exhibited on the international stage, the richness and splendour of Pakistani culture. With spirits stirred by words of Sufi poets and set to the throb of qawwali, the charged crowd spontaneously broke into the national anthem at the end.
Dr. Maleeha Lodhi, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN
As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.
Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.
Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.
YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.
Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.
Nong Rong
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
January 2021
Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir
Video message by Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed on Black Day of Indian Occupation of Kashmir, 27 October 1947, when Indian military troops forcibly occupied Kashmir illegally, claiming a fraudulent ‘Instrument of Accession’ which never existed as documented by eminent British historian Alastair Lamb! Kashmir & Palestine are examples of illegal occupation & continued Resistance to Repression! There are so many commonalities in Kashmir & Palestine: both under brutal military occupation of foreign powers, both are facing an indigenous, popular, spontaneous & widespread Resistance & Uprising, both are in violation of UN Resolutions which haven’t been implemented, both are witnessing an attempted change in the demographic balance, both are facing the use of rape as a weapon of war, both are testimony to double-standards & hypocrisy of Western powers on human rights & fundamental rights, and both conflicts have an element of racism and Islamophobia, while enduring peace, security and stability will remain elusive in both regions, South Asia & Middle East, until these issues are resolved in accordance with popular aspirations.
| 中文 
