Doha, 09 Nov. 2024

The Pakistani community in Qatar hosted an authentic Pakistani breakfast in honor of the outgoing ambassadors of Japan and the Philippines on Thursday at Sarhad Premium Restaurant, located in the Hotel Golden Tulip Doha.

The event is part of further strengthening harmony and strong inter-community relationships in Qatar, a country recognized globally for its peaceful environment. Recently, Qatar has also been elected to the Executive Committee of INTERPOL, the intergovernmental organization comprising 196 countries.

Attendees included outgoing Japanese Ambassador Maeda Satoshi; outgoing Philippine Ambassador Madam Lillibeth V. Pono; Mohamed Bahrin Haji Abu Bakar, Dean of ASEAN Ambassadors and Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam; Ridwan Hassan, Ambassador of Indonesia; Nguyen Huy Hiep, Ambassador of Vietnam; Sira Swangsipa, Ambassador of Thailand; Javier Carbajosa, Ambassador of Spain; Dr Ashraf Khodjaev, ambassador of Uzbekistan; Dr. Waseem Kutab, Director of the British Council; Dr. Wael Shadid, a prominent Palestinian community leader, author and researcher; Ayman AlQudwa, a well-known social media figure. Leading members of the Pakistani community were also present, including Ashraf Siddiqui, President of the Pakistan Literary Council and a renowned journalist; Riyaz Bakali, former President of the Pakistan Engineers Forum Qatar, a philanthropist and educationist; Zahid Awan, former president of Halqa e Ahbab Qatar, one of the oldest community forum in Qatar and former banker; Qaiser Anwar, Vice President, Pakistan Welfare Forum Qatar; and a number of business and professional community members among other communities.

Ashraf Siddiqui expressed gratitude to the guests for attending the event, which aimed to bid farewell to the esteemed diplomats and highlighting the role of cultural diplomacy in fostering inter-community bonds.

On behalf of the Pakistani community, he conveyed best wishes to the outgoing ambassadors.

HE Maeda Satoshi, the outgoing Japanese Ambassador, expressed heartfelt thanks for the warm hospitality extended by the leadership and officials of Qatar during his tenure.

He praised the organizers for arranging an unique and traditional Pakistani breakfast. He fondly shared a childhood memory of hearing about Pakistan when his father first visited the country.

Ambassador HE Lillibeth V. Pono of the Philippines also thanked Ashraf Siddiqui and the friends for the thoughtful arrangement. She acknowledged the hospitality she had experienced and the close cooperation with Siddiqui throughout her tenure, which continues until January 2025.

During the event, Riyaz Ahmed Bakali gave an insightful presentation on Pakistan’s significant contributions to global peace, noting it as the second-largest contributor to United Nations peacekeeping missions. He encouraged guests to explore Pakistan’s natural beauty.

Ayman AlQudwa thanked the organizers for the opportunity to experience the rich flavors of Pakistani cuisine and expressed his plans to promote Pakistan’s historical and picturesque northern areas.