ISLAMABAD-The constitution day saw Nepal transform into a Federal Republic from a constitutional monarchy in 2015. The transition was officially consolidated on Sept 20, 2015 which replaced the Interim Constitution 2007. The new constitution is all set to take Nepal to the new heights of socio-economic prosperity. The ambassador of Nepal Sewa Lamsal hosted a colourful event to celebrate the Constitutional and National Day of Nepal at a local hotel in Islamabad. The arrangement for the ceremony was up to the mark and the ambassador of Nepal Sewa Lamsal cordially welcomed all the guests. The event was very well attended by people from various walks of life which included politicians, business community representative, diplomats and media fraternity, in fact a number of guests from all over the country attended the event. The event began with the national anthem of Pakistan and Nepal which was followed by a cake cutting ceremony.  Federal Minister for Railway Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed was the chief guest while SAARC Ambassadors also attended the event. Additional Foreign Secretary Asia Pacific Imtiaz Ahmed was also among the prominent guests. He said that he had spent fourteen years in Japan and four years in Korea respectively. He can also speak Japanese and has extensive hands-on experience on Asia pacific region.

The guests were indulged in a deep conversation particularly on national and International issue. Dr Salim Mehmud, A world renowned space scientist and a nuclear engineer was also there. He is the former chairman of Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and has 35 years of broad experience in the field of Science & Technology, Information & Communications Technology (ICT), Energy, and Space technologies. He said that the fall of the Muslim empire started when western powers took control over the seas and that particular strategic manoeuvre of western powers indicates that those powers still remain supreme, but the future belongs to only those who will dominate space control. To which he commented that Pakistan was the second country after United States who launched the first rocket  Rehbar-I on 7 June 1962 but currently US operates a large fleet of communications, electronic intelligence, technology, navigation, and surveillance satellites in fact after Navy , Army and Air forces  they  have their own space force .

Shiekh Rasheed Ahmed has put forth quite an ambitious plan to reform the railways department with some robust steps for the betterment of railways such as upgrading railways stations, incentive and benefits of employees and generating more jobs.

He said, “It is matter of great pleasure to be here at the Constitutional Day event of Nepal”. He further said that the new constitution was promulgated on 20 September 2015 and Nepal has conducted three phases of elections at the local, provincial and central levels last year under the auspices of the new constitution which was a big achievement. On Pakistan-Nepal Relations he said that Pakistan highly values its relations with Nepal which are marked by mutual affection and support for each other. Both countries have strong cooperation in economic, cultural and political fields. Pakistan supports Nepal in its efforts for economic development and hoped that Nepal will move towards economic development and progress in the future.   He said both are cooperating in various fields but there is a need to explore more possibilities of cooperation for mutual benefit.

The Ambassador of Nepal Sewa Lamsal is a woman with great wisdom and intuition. She made her recognition in the diplomatic community of Islamabad in a very short span of time because of the qualities that she possesses are very rare. She enlightened the audience about some distinct features of the new constitution of Nepal. She said the new constitution incorporates some distinct features including federal structure, secular state, inclusive democracy, principles of human rights and a republican set up, among others.

She further added that ever since the promulgation, Nepal has been implementing the constitution with a great spirit. Now the government has sole focus on the development agenda to graduate the country from the status of LDC to the middle income countries, and materialize the vision of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli “Prosperous Nepal and Happy Nepalis”.

On Nepal and Pakistan’s relations she said that both have been enjoying cordial relations ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1960. Both the countries share identical views on many multilateral forums, including the UN system. The mutual cooperation, trust and friendship between Nepal and Pakistan she said have been growing over the passage of time and the visit of the then Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, as well as subsequent visits of the then Chief of Army Staff General Rajendra Chetri of Nepal and General Zubair Mahmood Hayat Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of Pakistan speaks louder than words. She hoped for more visits of the newly elected leadership in both the countries. 

On bilateral trade she briefed that the trade volume between Nepal and Pakistan is not at a satisfactory level if compared to the potential available. There is a need to work together to bridge this gap. In this regards she invited and encouraged Pakistani investors to invest in Nepal. Nepal is a very liberal country for foreign investors in terms of taxes and other facilities, she added.

On tourism sector she said that Nepal has been one of the top travel destinations across the world since ancient times. It is the country of the Mount Everest, the birth place of Gautam Buddha, and the land of ancient temples. It is blessed with natural, cultural and social diversities, all of which has made Nepal an outstanding destination.

She said Nepal is grateful to the government of Pakistan for offering scholarships to Nepali students through PTAP framework. She commended the efforts of the Government of Pakistan for its fight against terrorism and that she is highly impressed by the commitment of Pakistan to the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and wishes the government every success for its implementation.

She was pleased to inform that next year, Nepal and Pakistan will be celebrating sixtieth year of their bilateral relations. In this regards, she sought support from the government, business community as well as people of Pakistan.

–The writer is a freelance contributor.

Islamabad: Ambassador of Nepal Sewa Lamsal, Federal Minister for Railways Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, Ambassador of Maldives Ahmed Saleem , Ambassador of Bangladesh Tarik Ahsan and Additional Secretary Asia Pacific of Foreign Office Imtiaz Ahmed cutting a cake at the Constitution Day of Nepal event.