Islamabad - Poland commemorates the National Independence Day on 11 November. The date recalls events of 1918 when Poland regained its independence.

After the collapse of communism in 1989, the celebrations of the day were restored. The Armed Forces Day and the parade take place on the anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw.

To mark the 99th anniversary of Poland Independence Day and to celebrate the Armed Forces Day, the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland Piotr Opalinski hosted a remarkable reception at a local hotel in Islamabad.

The Chairman Senate Mian Raza Rabbani and the visiting Marshal of the Senate of Poland, Stanislaw Karczewski were the chief guests while Lt Gen Nadim Raza, Commander 10 Corps graced the occasion as a special guest. The event commenced with the national anthem of both countries, and a cake was also cut. Ambassadors, politicians, government officials, and business community representatives also attended the event.

The High Commissioner of Bangladesh Tarik Ahsan while giving a brief account of his career stated that he had served four years as High Commissioner in Sri Lanka before coming to Pakistan.

About the influx of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, he responded that the temporary settlements of Rohingya refugees cannot be turned into permanent settlements. The new Ambassador of Bosnia Sakib Foric has arrived in Pakistan. Like his predecessor Ambassador

 Nedim Makarevic, he possesses a modest and pleasant personality. 

Lt Gen Nadim Raza probably appeared first time in a diplomatic reception and participants were eager to talk with him. Lt Gen Nadim Raza is a man of high character and a professional commander serving the country with utmost sincerity and dedication. He was appointed as the Colonel Commandant of the Sindh Regiment, but the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Qamar Javed Bajwa, who has also served as Commander of 10 Corps, appointed him recently as the 1st Colonel Commandant of Mujahid Force. Being courageous and valorous, he is a soft and humble person. 

Mian Raza Rabbani is a seasoned politician in Pakistan. He is a very sincere and devoted politician and was awarded Nishan-e-Imtiaz for his parliamentary services. He is recognized as the architect and mastermind of 18th Amendment.

He delivered a speech on this occasion in which he said that Pakistan and Poland had strong and deep-rooted historical relations and expressed satisfaction over the cooperation.

He also recalled the historic cooperation between the two countries when the then Prime Minister Liaquat Ali Khan gave asylum to around 30,000 exiled Polish people, who later helped to establish Pakistan Air Force.

He also mentioned about one of the most prominent Polish officers Air Commodore Wladyslaw Turowicz who trained Pakistani pilots and was also one of the forerunners of Pakistani missile project. He further said that he was familiar with the Air Commodore Wladyslaw Turowicz, as his father was also in the Air Force. 

The Ambassador of Poland Piotr Opalinski served in Pakistan as the deputy head of the mission from 1999-2005. This is his second tenure in Pakistan. During his stay in Pakistan, he holds quite good knowledge of the history, culture, and political scenario of Pakistan.

Besides being an excellent diplomat, Opalinski is an erudite scholar who also has excellent command over the Urdu language. He has a tremendous diplomatic skill to promote the bilateral relations between the two countries. In his speech, he said that Pakistan and Poland have strong bilateral and friendly relations and expressed the desire to enhance ties in diverse fields further.

On Poland Independence Day, Marshal of Senate of Poland Stanislaw Karczewski stated that Poland seeks to enhance cooperation with Pakistan in various sectors. He also thanked Pakistan for its support for Poland’s membership in the United Nations Security Council.

 He believed that parliamentary dialogue would help boost bilateral relations, and parliamentary exchanges would help to enhance the existing economic ties to new altitudes for the mutual benefit of the two sides.

On this occasion, a photo exhibition was also organised to sensitize the guests about Pakistani and polish history. The participants took the round and admired the great bond of friendship between the two countries.

–The writer is a freelance contributor.