Syed Mussarat Khalil

Saudi Gazette



JEDDAH — The PakistanRepatriation Council (PRC) held a symposium titled "Repatriation and Rehabilitation of  Stranded Pakistanis  on  self  finance  basis" at Kababish recently.



It was presided  by  world  renowned  lawyer  and  humanist  Dr. Prof.  Francis  Lamand,  president  of the  Paris-based  organization  Islam  and  the  West, and the  chief  guest  was writer and  ex-diplomat  Dr. Ali  Al-Ghamdi.



Lamand in  his presidential  address  thanked  PRC  for  organising the  symposium  on  Pakistanis  languishing  in  Bangladesh.



He  said  he  is  committed  to  PRC  for  extending  his  support  as a friend  of  Pakistan.



He  also  condemned  last  month’s  atrocities  to  families living  in  Mirpur  camps.



Earlier,  he  met  with UNHCR  director  along with   Dr. Abdullah  Omar  Nasseef  to  seek  refugee  status  for  them.



Lamand  agreed  with  the  idea  of Al-Ghamdi  to  form  a  delegation  headed  by  Dr. Abdullah  Nasseef  to  formally  seek  a  meeting  with  Prime  Minister  Nawaz  Sharif  to  discuss  ways  to  solve  their   settlement  in  Pakistan  and  use  PRC  proposal  to overcome  the  financial  issue. 



Ghamdi  said  PRC  is  doing  an  excellent  job  by  raising  the  issue  of  Pakistanis  languishing  in  Bangladeshi  camps  for  over  42  years.



He said that  Raja  Zafrul  Haque, head  of  senate and  close  associate  of prime  minister,  informed  that  his  government  has  not  forgotten  the stranded  Pakistanis.



He urged  that the  Pakistani  high  commission  should  extend  essential  protection  to  those  quarter  million  Pakistanis  living  in  camps.



He  said  PRC  proposal proposes providing  passports  to  about 40,000  male  members  who  can  seek  employment  in KSA  and Gulf  to  financially  support their  repatriation  and  rehabilitation.



He also suggested  that Lamand  be  part  of  delegation  under  Nasseef  when they  meet Sharif.



Engr. Aziz Ahmed, general  secretary of Memon Welfare Society; Tayyab  Mosani, president,  Majlise  Iqbal; Dr. Irfan  Hashmi, Urdu columnist; Amanatullah, Shamsuddin Altaf appreciated and approved the proposal of PRC.



Convener  Syed  Ehsanul  Haque  thanked Lamand, Ghamdi and  all  guests for attending the event.



Haque  praised Lamand  for  supporting  the  cause.



He demanded the establishment of  a new trust in lieu  of  Rabita  Trust.



The trust will  arrange for a  survey  to  find  number  of  families  and  their  male  members  in  working  position.

He said with  their  productive  employment  they  should  bear  the  expenses  of  family  air  tickets  and  pay  for  housing on  a 10-year installment.



Abdul  Majeed  recited few verses from the Qur'an and spoke on the Battle  of  Badr. Naat  was  presented  by  Zamarrud  Khan  Saifi.



Abdul Qayum  Wasiq  conducted  the  symposium and presented poems on Ramadan. Supplication  was  made by  Shamsuddin  Altaf.