Pakistanis mark national day in Accra
The High Commission of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Ghana has held a reception to commemorate the Pakistan National Day.
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The High Commissioner, Farhat Ayesha, hosted the Pakistan Community, the Diplomatic corps and Ghanaians, including government officials, to a reception at the Pakistan House at Abelenkpe in Accra.
Earlier, a flag hoisting ceremony was performed by the High Commissioner and the Pakistan Community.
National Day
The Pakistan National Day also known as the Pakistan Resolution Day, is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the first Constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on March 23, 1956, making Pakistan the world's first Islamic republic.
The day also celebrates the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the Muslim League at the Minar-e-Pakistan (Pakistan Tower) which called for the creation of an independent sovereign state derived from the provinces, with Muslim majorities located in the North-West and East of British India (excluding autonomous princely States) on March 23, 1940.
Ms Ayesha expressed joy to celebrate the National Day with the Pakistan Community, friends from the diplomatic corps and the people of Ghana.
“Today is a special day for us as it is our first Pakistan Day reception since the re-establishment of the High Commission in June last year.
Our fore fathers committed themselves to the goal of an independent and sovereign country that became a reality on August 14, 1947.
“We are proud of our 65 years old friendship with the people of Ghana that dates back to 1958, and the establishment of Pakistan High Commission in Accra in 1964 energised this relationship, which has grown from strength to strength,” she said.
Ms Ayesha particularly underscored the mutual economic cooperation the two countries continued to benefit from.
Cooperation
“Pakistan and Ghana have been cooperating in areas of diplomacy, economics, capacity building and the people to people contacts.
Ghana is the second largest trading partner of Pakistan in West Africa with overall trade of around $67 million.
Ms Ayesha praised the Pakistan community in Ghana for contributing positively towards the development of Ghana with their skills.
“Pakistanis are running leading businesses in IT (Information Technology) and equipment, furniture and décor, agricultural machinery and products, and pharmaceuticals.
They are recognised for their professionalism and commitment to duty, working as doctors, IT professionals, engineers, managers and skilled workers in international organisations and multinationals in Ghana.
The High Commissioner thanked the Government of Ghana for facilitating the stay of the High Commission and helping in getting it grounded in Accra.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Kwaku Ampratwum-Sarpong, congratulated the people of Pakistan for the first anniversary of their national day in Accra.
“We recognise this milestone as a clear demonstration of the strong ties between our two countries. We hope the presence of the High Commission in Accra will further enhance our corporation and facilitate economic activities between the two countries to be mutually beneficial,” he said.
“Hopefully, with the re-opening of the Mission in Ghana and we as the host of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), it will be an additional incentive to encourage businesses from Pakistan to take advantage of the opportunity to invest and partner with Ghanaians to access Africa’s huge market size of 1.2 billion people to further strengthen the trade ties between the two countries.
