Pakistan’s first think tank on Africa launched

ISLAMABAD: Senior politician Mushahid Hussain Sayed launched Pakistan’s first think tank on Africa on Thursday.

The think tank was launched at a seminar hosted by the Institute of Strategic Studies.

The guests included a number of ambassadors, especially from African countries as well as scholars, students and dignitaries.

Mushahid Hussain Sayed termed Africa as the pivotal player in the resurgence of the Global South with 54 members of the African Union. Referring to Pakistan-Africa relations, Senator Mushahid Hussain said that Pakistan’s ties with Africa predate the creation of Pakistan as Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah visited Egypt in 1946 to forge friendly ties with this key African country. He said, in the 1950s, Pakistan gave full support to liberation movements of African countries like Tunisia, Morocco, Libya and Eritrea, even providing diplomatic passports to prominent freedom fighters from these countries.

In the 1970s, he said Pakistan supported the liberation struggles of South Africa and Zimbabwe with financial and military support.

“Pakistan also provided scholarships for students and technical and administrative assistance to the newly independent countries of Africa including Tanzania, Gambia, Ghana, Kenya and Uganda and today there is also a large Pakistani Diaspora in different countries of Africa,” he said.

Director General, ISSI, Ambassador Suhail Mahmood welcomed the initiative and appreciated Senator Mushahid Hussain’s vision and farsightedness in this new outreach to Africa which would be a plus for promoting Pakistan’s interests in a very important and happening part of the world.