{"id":12378,"date":"2025-10-10T16:42:32","date_gmt":"2025-10-10T16:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/2025\/10\/10\/advancing-pakistan-africa-partnership\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T09:29:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T09:29:15","slug":"advancing-pakistan-africa-partnership","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/2025\/10\/10\/advancing-pakistan-africa-partnership\/","title":{"rendered":"Asia\u2013Africa Gathering Hosted by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed in Islamabad"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asia\u2013Africa Gathering Hosted by Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed in Islamabad<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A memorable event fostering multilateral and bilateral cooperation between two continents \u2014 Pakistan\u2013Africa Institute for Development and Research (PAIDAR) introduced; Ethiopian Ambassador bid farewell<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Tazeen Akhtar<\/strong>
Photos by Raja Ghulam Fareed<\/strong><\/p>\n

Islamabad:<\/strong>
Senator Mushahid Hussain Syed<\/strong>, President of the Pakistan\u2013Africa Institute for Development and Research (PAIDAR)<\/strong>, hosted an Asia\u2013Africa Luncheon Gathering<\/strong> at his Islamabad residence last week, bringing together diplomats, policymakers, scholars, and business leaders to promote deeper cooperation between the two continents.\"\"<\/p>\n

The event had three key objectives: to highlight Pakistan\u2013Africa cooperation and its potential<\/strong>, to bid farewell to the Ethiopian Ambassador<\/strong>, and to formally introduce PAIDAR<\/strong>, a newly established think tank dedicated to advancing policy research, data sharing, and partnership development between Pakistan and African nations.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The luncheon, hosted in a pleasant garden setting by Senator Mushahid and his wife, eminent educationist Ms. Dashka Syed<\/strong>, was attended by ambassadors and representatives from various Asian and African countries, evoking memories of the historic Bandung Conference of 1955<\/strong>, where newly independent nations of Asia and Africa united to advocate for decolonization and global peace.<\/p>\n

Senator Mushahid Hussain recalled his personal connection with Indonesia, noting that his late father, Colonel Amjad Hussain Syed<\/strong>, was Pakistan\u2019s first Defence Attach\u00e9 to Indonesia. Mushahid himself completed his schooling there, and later, as a parliamentarian and minister, made multiple official visits to Jakarta. \u201cMy early years in Indonesia taught me the value of cross-continental friendship,\u201d he said, adding that he now seeks to use his personal experiences and diplomatic relationships to strengthen Pakistan\u2019s ties with Africa and Asia.<\/p>\n

Dignitaries in Attendance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The event was attended by a distinguished gathering, including Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan<\/strong>, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who heads the Africa Desk. He appreciated Senator Mushahid\u2019s initiative, describing Africa as \u201cPakistan\u2019s most promising new partner\u201d and emphasizing the Ministry\u2019s upcoming mega events across African capitals to boost engagement.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He highlighted the Pakistan Engage Africa Conference<\/strong> and upcoming exhibitions in Addis Ababa<\/strong>, where over 100 Pakistani companies are expected to participate in collaboration with the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan<\/strong> and the Embassy of Pakistan in Ethiopia<\/strong>. \u201cThe Prime Minister has directed a renewed focus on Africa, particularly in trade, investment, and joint ventures,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan<\/strong> further underlined the immense potential in agriculture and healthcare<\/strong>, calling them key sectors for Pakistan\u2013Africa cooperation.\"\"<\/p>\n

Farewell to Ethiopian Ambassador<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The event also marked the farewell of Ethiopian Ambassador Jamal Baker Abdullah<\/strong>, who has been posted to the United Arab Emirates. Ambassador Jamal expressed his gratitude to Pakistan and shared that his tenure in Islamabad had been marked by \u201chistoric progress in bilateral relations.\u201d He noted the launch of direct Ethiopian Airlines flights to Pakistan<\/strong> as a major step toward deeper partnership.<\/p>\n

He also recalled Ethiopia\u2019s collaboration with Pakistan\u2019s \u201cGreen Initiative,\u201d joint environmental efforts, and humanitarian outreach, particularly his visits to flood-affected areas in Sindh where he witnessed the affection and hospitality of local communities.<\/p>\n

A Distinguished Gathering Reflecting Asia\u2013Africa Friendship<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Notable attendees included Senator Wasim Sajjad<\/strong> (former President of Pakistan), Raja Zafar-ul-Haq<\/strong> (Secretary-General, Muslim World League), Afrasiab Khattak<\/strong>, Senator Javed Abbasi<\/strong>, Sitara Ayaz<\/strong>, Ambassadors Khazar Farhadov (Azerbaijan)<\/strong>, Dr. Reza Amiri Moghaddam (Iran)<\/strong>, Dr. Rizwan Naziroglu (T\u00fcrkiye)<\/strong>, Yerzan Kistafin (Kazakhstan)<\/strong>, Rahmat Hendyarta (Indonesia)<\/strong>, Jannat al-Firdous (Malaysia)<\/strong>, Ms. Buket Kap (TRNC)<\/strong>, Ms. Haririmana Fatou Fatma (Rwanda)<\/strong>, Saleh Ahmed (Sudan)<\/strong>, Mr. & Mrs. Titus Mhliwa Jonathan (Zimbabwe)<\/strong>, and Rudolf Pierre Jordan (South Africa)<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Other prominent personalities included Ambassador Khalid Mahmood<\/strong>, Chairman of the Institute of Strategic Studies<\/strong>, Ambassador Sohail Mahmood<\/strong>, DG of the Institute, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem<\/strong>, Chairman of the Institute of Regional Studies<\/strong>, Vice Admiral (R) Ahmed Saeed<\/strong> of the National Institute of Maritime Affairs<\/strong>, Maj. Gen. (R) Tayyab Azam<\/strong>, Maj. (R) Amir<\/strong>, Brig. (R) Sajjad<\/strong>, and young journalist Aliya Agha<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce Joins Hands<\/strong><\/h3>\n

President of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI)<\/strong>, Usman Shaukat<\/strong>, and Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee Zahid Latif<\/strong>, also attended the event, announcing RCCI\u2019s partnership with PAIDAR to enhance business cooperation with African markets.<\/p>\n

A Memorable Moment: The Birthday Surprise<\/strong><\/h3>\n

A lighthearted highlight of the day was the birthday celebration of Jordan\u2019s Ambassador Mr. Main Khreisat<\/strong>. Senator Mushahid Hussain cut the cake with the \u201cbirthday boy\u201d and guests \u2014 a surprise even for the ambassador himself, who had not mentioned the occasion. The gesture delighted the guests, including Senator Mushahid\u2019s two young grandsons, who were especially happy to see a \u201cbirthday party in grand style.\u201d\"\"<\/p>\n

Symbol of Renewed Asian\u2013African Solidarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The luncheon was widely described as a symbol of renewed Asia\u2013Africa solidarity<\/strong>, bringing together voices from diplomacy, politics, academia, and business to advance shared goals of peace, development, and mutual respect.<\/p>\n

Ambassador Hamid Asghar Khan lauded the event as \u201ca remarkable step toward institutionalizing Pakistan\u2019s outreach to Africa,\u201d while diplomats affectionately dubbed Senator Mushahid \u201cthe encyclopedia of Asia and Africa\u201d for his encyclopedic knowledge and lifelong commitment to strengthening intercontinental ties.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Advance Pakistan Africa ties at an Islamabad luncheon where PAIDAR was launched to boost trade, diplomacy and investment across the two continents.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12387,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12378"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12391,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12378\/revisions\/12391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12387"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.peakpoint.pk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}