The theme of the seminar was “Reviving the Bandung Spirit of Afro-Asian Solidarity: Pakistan-Africa Relations”. PAIDAR President Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed delivered the keynote address.
The event was moderated by Ms. Amina Khan, Director, CAMEA. Speakers at the seminar included Ambassador Sohail Mahmood, Director General of ISSI; Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed, PAIDAR President; H.E. Mohammed Karmoune, Dean of the College of African Envoys and Ambassador of Morocco; H.E. Mary Nyambura Kamau, High Commissioner of Kenya to Pakistan; H.E. Jemal Beker Abdulla, Ambassador of Ethiopia to Pakistan; Ambassador Aftab Hassan, High Commissioner of Pakistan to South Africa; Ambassador Atif Sharif Mian, Ambassador of Pakistan to the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and the African Union; Ambassador Arshad Jan Pathan, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Mauritius; Mr. Zafar Bakhtawri, General Secretary of United Business Group (UBG); Dr. Bashir Bahar, Assistant Professor, Department of Translation and Interpreting, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI); Dr. Ismail Adaramola, Assistant Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations, International Islamic University Islamabad (IIUI); Shehryar Akbar Khan, Additional Secretary for Africa, Ministry of External Affairs (MOFA); Ambassador Khalid Mahmood, ISSI Chairman.
In her remarks, Ms. Amina Khan said that Pakistan’s commitment to engage with Africa is underscored by Pakistan’s comprehensive “Engaging Africa” policy. Recognizing Africa’s potential as the “Continent of the Future” and in line with the “Engaging Africa” policy, CAMEA was established in 2020 to strengthen relations with Africa as well as assist the government in drawing up a plan for future cooperation. with the African continent. She said that CAMEA looks forward to working with PAIDAR to deepen Pakistan’s relations with Africa.
He said it was fitting that the ceremony commemorated the “Bandung Spirit” – dating back to 1955 when 29 countries from Asia and Africa met in Bandung, Indonesia from April 18 to 24. He recalled the contribution of the Bandung Conference to the subsequent efforts of the international community for global peace and cooperation among developing countries. He particularly highlighted Pakistan’s full support for the liberation struggles of African nations and Pakistan’s contribution to peace and security in Africa through consistent participation in UN peacekeeping operations since 1960. He added that Pakistan’s overall engagement in Africa has been growing in recent years. Ambassador Sohail concluded by saying that deeper engagement with Africa remains a strategic imperative for Pakistan. Creating a strong and effective partnership for peace, progress and prosperity is an indispensable goal that should be pursued through a clear vision, consistent policy and long-term strategy.
Senator Mushahid Hussain Sayed said the launch of PAIDAR coincides with the 69th anniversary of the Bandung Conference, stressing Africa’s key role in the 54-member African Union South. He highlighted Pakistan’s long-standing ties with Africa, dating back to pre-independence when Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah initiated relations with Egypt in 1946. Senator Mushahid outlined the objectives of PAIDAR, which aims to revive Pakistan-Africa relations through people-to-people and intercompany exchanges. He said PAIDAR seeks to prioritize mutual interests, promote cooperation in education, environment, trade, energy and sustainable development goals.
HE. Mohammed Karmoune said that relations between Pakistan and Africa are based on the principles of mutual respect, cooperation and solidarity. Pakistan and Africa must work together to start joint ventures in various economic sectors. He said that development can be achieved mainly through science and technology, agriculture, industrial cooperation and promotion of trade and investment.
H.E. Jamal Baker said the Pakistani government’s “See Africa” and “Attract Africa” policies are the right steps, which led to the establishment of the Ethiopian mission in Islamabad, as well as the launch of direct flights by Ethiopian Airlines. . Pakistan. He also highlighted mutually beneficial opportunities in various sectors.
H.E. Mayor Nyambura Kamau highlighted the historic partnership between Africa and Pakistan, which he said is characterized by multilateral cooperation at various levels that reflects the strength and durability of the relationship. He stressed the importance of actively exploring various ways of cooperation and engagement with regional economic communities in Africa such as ECCAS, ECOWAS, AMU, SADC and EAC to strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and Africa. In addition, he focused on promoting Pakistan’s economic cooperation in trade, investment, joint ventures, tourism and technology through regional bloc and bilateral levels.
Ambassador Aftab Hassan said that Pakistan enjoys historical and warm relations with African countries in the “Bandung spirit” of friendship. He said there is an urgent need to develop high-level relations between Pakistan and African countries, as well as to strengthen institutional mechanisms to support long-term cooperation. In this context, he proposed practical measures to deepen diplomatic, economic and people-to-people relations with Africa.
Ambassador Atif Sherif Mian said that Ethiopia is one of the most influential countries in Africa. Pakistan values its relationship with Ethiopia in recognition of its geo-economic potential and in line with Pakistan’s “African Pull” policy. Ethiopia’s leadership supports closer ties with Pakistan, which was revealed by the decision to establish an Ethiopian embassy in Islamabad in 2022.
Ambassador Arshad Patan Patan said that the 21st century includes an Afro-Asian climate. There is no political will; Lack of bureaucratic will to successfully implement the ‘Attracting Africa’ policy. All stakeholders, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Trade, must work together to implement the policy collectively. He also pointed out the challenges Pakistan faces in improving cooperation with regional platforms related to Africa and proposed PAIDAR to propose this solution.
Mr. Zafar Bagthawri stressed the need to explore business opportunities and increase the number of African missions in Pakistan and Pakistani missions in Africa. He said there is a need for comprehensive research in various sectors to develop stronger ties between Pakistan and Africa.
Dr Bashir Bahar and Dr Ismail Adaramola spoke about Pakistan’s important role in providing quality education to African students in various Pakistani universities. It also stated that both are products of universities in Pakistan and now have the privilege of teaching in the universities they graduated from.
Shahriar Akbar Khan said that under the policy of “Pull Africa”, Pakistan aims to share peace, prosperity and progress between Pakistan and the people of Africa. As per the policy, Phase I has been successfully completed. Further diplomatic missions of Pakistan in Africa will be established on a regular basis. In addition, MOFA said that during the past seven months, it has been working on ten Alliances to establish bilateral political consultations with various African countries.
The event ended with the unveiling of PAIDAR’s official logo and team photo. The event was attended by a large number of scholars, regional studies experts, think tank leaders, students and members of parliament, civil society and the media.
