Pak-Australia ties getting stronger: envoy

Congratulating the people of Pakistan on Pakistan Day and conveying her best wishes on this great day, the Australian High Commissioner to Pakistan Margaret Adamson termed the Pak-Australia relations long lasting and highly beneficial for both the friendly countries over the last seven decades and added that they are growing stronger.

These remarks were given by the high commissioner during a press conference, in a local hotel. The diplomat expressed a great joy over being in Lahore, the ancient city, which is the hub of cultural activity.

On a query regarding the hardships faced to obtain an Australian visa, the diplomat said that visa is issued strictly on merit and is based on the authenticity of the information furnished by the visa seeker. She revealed that over 12,000 Pakistani students are studying in Australia and the number is growing every day.On another query about Australian cricket teams visit to Pakistan and play here, she relied that the Australian Cricket Board is completely independent body and such a decision is its prerogative. She expressed her pleasure with the initiative like PSL and hoped that one day all the international teams will be coming over to Pakistan. Later, addressing the participants of this august gathering before the ‘cake-cutting‘ ceremony, she said “this evening we are taking the opportunity of our annual national day function to highlight that we are this year celebrating 70 years of Australia-Pakistan relations. Our two countries share a number of features: from our Commonwealth heritage and federal governance, to our climatic and water challenges, to ethnic and cultural diversity. And while our formal relations are as old as Pakistan as a nation, our people-to-people links stretch back to the 19th century.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull calls Australia ‘a nation ancient and modern, old and new’. Our country is the world’s oldest landmass. Pakistan is also home to ancient civilisations, most famously the sophisticated Gandhara kingdom, from which times Pakistan enjoys an extraordinary diversity of cultural heritage – both built and living, for which it is custodian for mankind.

As a nation, like Pakistan, Australia is relatively new. Our - much smaller - population is based on immigration from over 200 countries, mostly since 1945. Around 60,000 people of Pakistani origin are among those who contribute to the vibrant cultural diversity of which Australia is proud.

She thanked her team for their fantastic preparations for this celebration in Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi.