Dubai: Welfare, education and cultural committees have been formed under the supervision of Pakistani missions to help community members in the UAE.
"We have formed various committees.. involving leading community members with the aim of providing all possible help to Pakistanis living across the UAE," Khursheed Ahmad Junejo, Ambassador of Pakistan, told Gulf News at an iftar reception hosted by Zahoor Shujra, a prominent Pakistani in Dubai.
Junejo said that it was the first time such committees had been formed and the objective was to join hands to help people in need.
"We want our people here to work closely with the diplomatic mission to achieve our objective of serving the community efficiently," he added.
These committees have representation both from the Pakistani missions and the community while the Ambassador will be patron-in-chief.
Junejo said the education committees would focus on running and improving the quality of education in Pakistani schools in the UAE.
The welfare committee with representatives in every emirate will carry out projects to provide social legal, moral and financial support to less privileged community members and people in prison. The cultural committee will coordinate to organise literary and cultural activities and promote Pakistani culture and heritage in the UAE.
"I want leading Pakistanis here to get involved in our mission because we cannot serve such a huge community without their co-operation," he added.
There are about 800,000 Pakistanis residing in the UAE.
When asked, he said that these committees did not clash with the working of the Pakistani Association in Dubai.
"These committees will operate all over the UAE," he added.
Abdul Sattar Pardesi, a prominent philanthropist and social worker, who is leading the welfare committee in Dubai, said that he, along with other prominent members of the community, had already started visiting jails to provide legal and financial support to Pakistan prisoners in Dubai and Sharjah.
Meanwhile, Riaz Farooq, president of the Pakistan Association in Dubai said the association had spent more than Dh740,000 to help the internally displaced persons (IDPs) who became homeless during the military operation against terrorists and extremists in Swat valley.
"Our teams personally visited the IDP camps and distributed cash and relief goods in addition to providing scholarships to university students and setting up a clinic for free healthcare of the displaced people," Farooq added while addressing a press conference in Dubai on Monday.
He called upon community members to donate generously because the Association would need funds to run the free medical clinic and an orphanage in the affected Malakand division.
"We have also started construction of the multi-purpose community hall at the association premises at a cost of Dh6 million and want the community to contribute funds for this project," he added.
Prime Minister of Pakistan Yousuf Raza Gilani promised to provide 75 per cent of the construction costs for the hall during his recent visit to Dubai.
"I have already sent the letter to the Prime Minister to get funds which will be provided to the association as soon as it is approved," said Junejo.
