British HC celebrates Queen Elizabeth’s birthday

Islamabad
To celebrate the 89th birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, the High Commissioner of Britain, Philip Barton hosted a reception at his residence which was attended by a large number of guests. Diplomats, officers of the Pakistan Armed Forces and Diplomatic Corps and members of civil society from different walks of life came to congratulate the hosts and express good wishes for the Queen.
The guest of honour was Minister for States and Frontier Regions, Lieutenant General (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch and after the national anthems of both countries had been played, he and the host lifted a toast to each other’s head of state. The national anthems were played by a smart military band from the UK, which also played light music throughout the evening.
Ever since it rained quite heavily during one of these celebrations many years ago, a canopy has been erected to cover the large terrace in front of the building, just in case! This year too there was a nice, fancy white one but more noticeable was the white carpet with a light, black pattern - so much better than the maroon ones that are used for many outdoor events. Snacks did the rounds, while the addition of fish and chips served in a corner after being fried on the spot and presented in paper wrapping, reminded of the traditional British way of serving this specialty.
Addressing the gathering, the host said, democracy, mutual respect and human rights are at the heart of the modern relationship between the UK and Pakistan and this is evident in the links between the peoples of the two countries. Adding that the Queen’s Birthday is an occasion to reflect on these close ties, he said, “Pakistan came into being only shortly before Her Majesty became Queen and this enduring partnership has taken shape during her reign. This year she will become the UK’s longest reigning monarch.”
He went on to say that Britain was marking another significant anniversary this year as on June 15th it will be 800 years since the sealing of the Magna Carta, a document that paved the way for parliamentary democracy as it is known today, providing the foundation for British society and human rights around the world, including the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights made in 1948.
He concluded by thanking all of those who were present, “for the part you have played in fostering the many links that bind the two countries together.”
The guest of honour, after congratulating the host and the British nation reciprocated the words of the host about the aspects that bind the two countries together and hoped they would continue to grow stronger. After these official proceedings some guests left while others stayed on to enjoy the rest of the evening until the given end time.
Interesting information on the Magna Carta had been given on the programme card which was a short lesson in history for those who were not familiar with it, with the statement at the beginning — “Magna Carta matters. It is the foundation stone supporting the freedoms enjoyed today by hundreds of millions of people in more than 100 countries,” providing food for thought about the many countries which still do not have these freedoms.