Pak-Sudan People’s Friendship Association launched

Islamabad

The Pakistan-Sudan People’s Friendship Association (PSPFA) was launched here Friday under the aegis of the Embassy of Sudan and research-based think tank Muslim Institute.

Sudan’s Charge d’ Affaires Ahmad Abdelrehman Mohammad, PML(N) Chairman Senator Raja Zafar-Ul-Haq and chairman of Muslim Institute Sahibzada Sultan Ahmad Ali inaugurated association. The purpose of PSPFA will be to engage the people of Pakistan and Sudan to promote research and intellectual exchange, education, agriculture, health, business, trade and commerce, culture, tourism, youth cooperation and peace and harmony.

Ambassadors and delegations of different countries including Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Algeria, South Africa and large number of people from academia, politicians, social activists, researchers and businessmen participated in the ceremony.

Speakers who expressed their views on the occasion spoke about deep-rooted relations between the two countries due to history, religion, culture, and shared perceptions on major regional and global affairs. 

They hoped that the association would strengthen people-to-people contact between the two countries. “There is a need for cooperation between people having the same world view but living in different regions in order to progress in the global village. In the current turmoil across different regions of the Muslim world, we need to realize that our stability and prosperity lies in dealing the contemporary challenges through research and dialogue, peace, stability, prosperity, science and technology and socio-economic justice,” one of the speakers maintained.

A reference was also made to the excellent relations between Pakistan and Sudan in the field of education, given that many Sudanese students continue to seek admissions in Pakistani colleges and universities. Contacts between businessmen of the two countries are on the rise and would certainly boost bilateral trade. Around 2,000 Pakistanis are currently residing in Sudan and are doing small-scale businesses; yet, there is a lot of potential to work together in fields of mutual interest, specifically in areas like research and analysis, trade and industry, and agriculture. Similarly, networking between different organizations and institutions of the two countries can play an effective role in the realization of these ideas.

Participants were optimistic about Pak-Sudan relations and praised the formation of the association.