Rehman Chishti receives Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam

LONDON: On behalf of the President of Pakistan, High Commissioner Moazzam Ahmad Khan conferred the prestigious civil award “Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam” on Rehman Chishti MP at a ceremony held at the High Commission, a statement said on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion a day earlier, the High Commissioner commended Chishti’s contribution as the British Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Pakistan towards promotion of bilateral trade between the UK and Pakistan.

He appreciated Chishti’s successful campaigns for GSP Plus trade status for Pakistan post-Brexit and resumption of British Airways flights between the two countries. Moazzam Khan also acknowledged Chishti’s role in highlighting the egregious violations being committed by the Indian occupation forces to silence the voice of Kashmiris and raising awareness about the dispute at various forums. Khan termed Chishti a role model for the youth, saying the award was well deserved recognition of these services of Chishti. In his remarks, Rehman Chishti thanked the Pakistan government for bestowing the prestigious award on him.

He expressed resolve to continue working for further strengthening mutually beneficial ties between the two countries in diverse fields. He hoped that Pakistan and the UK have enormous potential for increasing their trade volume manifold in future.

Chishti thanked the Pakistan government for organising British parliamentarians’ visit to Azad Jammu and Kashmir which, he said, gave them an opportunity to know the plight of the Kashmiri victims of Indian shelling across the Line of Control (LoC). He said it was regrettable that the Indian government did not allow the visit on its side. Rehman Chishti is an active member of the UK’s ruling Conservative Party and continues to be an MP since 2010.

This year, the President of Pakistan was pleased to confer “Sitara-i-Quaid-i-Azam” on four British Pakistani parliamentarians, namely Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Lord Qurban Hussain, Yasmin Qureshi MP and Rehman Chishti MP in recognition of their outstanding services to Pakistan.