ISLAMABAD-Mian Faal Elahi who is editor of a diplomatic magazine in the capital, was the elegant host of a farewell and welcome dinner event held at Islamabad Serena Hotel a few days ago. About one hundred guests attended, including more than a dozen envoys on the move.
Four designate Pakistani envoys attended - Malik M. Farooq who is on his way to Poland and Ahmad Farooq to Denmark; M. Nadeem Khan is going to Greece and M. Faisal to Germany. While Ali Ahmed Arain has been appointed to Senegal and Zafar Iqbal to Romania; and two retired military men, Vice Admiral Ather Muktar and Major General Umar Farooq Burki will be Pakistan’s representatives in Maldives and Jordan, respectively. The outgoing foreign envoys were Stefano Pontecorvo from Italy, Ahmed Saleem from Maldives, Nordeen Mohamad Shaheid from Sri Lanka, and Ahmed Fadel Yacoub from Egypt.
Welcoming words were bestowed on two new ambassadors to Pakistan - Borhene El Kamel of Tunisia and Sayed M. Al Hosseini of Iran.
Chief guest on the occasion was Federal Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs Andleeb Abbas, who gave a thought provoking speech about the work of diplomats, and the fact that the time of service in a country is always short.
Among the more humorous speeches was the one given by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner Noreen M. Shaheid, who gave an after dinner speech before dinner, making the atmosphere light and very pleasant. He said that after having been a diplomat for just well over a year, he explained he was going back to his law practice in Colombo. But in those 15 months, he claimed he had achieved more than many do in 15 years. He said he would miss Pakistan and the many friends he had made among diplomats and Pakistanis of all walks of life.