Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Af-fairs visited the UK from 18-20

April 2016, to review the Enhanced Strategic Dialogue (ESD), between Pakistan and the UK. He met Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond, Secretary of State for International Development Justine Greening, Minister of State for Trade and Investment Lord Mark Price, National Security Adviser Mark Lyall

Grant and British Council Chief Exec-utive Officer Ciaran Devane.

The two sides discussed future coop-eration to develop a deeper and strong-er relationship, and promoting mutual interests. They also discussed priority areas of the bilateral relationship includ-ing; meeting and exceeding the bilateral trade target of £3 billion; establishment of joint Pakistan-UK Business Council; expansion of development cooperation in health and education; facilitation of visas from Pakistani businessmen and students; enhanced cultural coopera-

tion by establishing a new UK-Pakistan cultural forum; and continued securi-ty cooperation to tackle the common threat of terrorism.

The two sides reviewed progress made under the ESD on trade, development, culture and security. They agreed new roadmaps on trade and investment, culture and education, and security cooperation.

A joint statement was also issued at the end of the review, reaffirming the commitment to a strong partnership to increase prosperity, development and

Sartaj Aziz leads bilateral talks with the UK

security in both countries. The En-hanced Strategic Dialogue was signed in 2011, and sets out the UK and Paki-stan’s strategic partnersh ip in the areas of trade and investment, development, culture and education, and security.

Mr Aziz also represented Pakistan in the meeting of Commonwealth Min-isterial Action Group (CMAG), on 20 April 2016. The Adviser delivered a talk on Pakistan Foreign Policy at Chatham House and visited the High Commission for Pakistan in London and interacted with the officers.

Mr. Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs, delivering a talk at Chatham House, London on the “Strategic Vision of Pakistan Foreign Policy”

High Commissioner Syed Ibne Abbas along with Sir Ciaran Devane CEO British Council and Mr. Sartaj Aziz Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs

Mr Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs with Sir Mark Lyall-Grant,British National Security Adviser (NSA) at his office in London

Mr Sartaj Aziz, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs with Mr Philip Hammond,British Foreign Secretary at FCO in London.

Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan meets Ms Theresa May

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Interior, expressing satisfaction over the state of Paki-stan-UK bilateral rela-tions, underscored the

need for taking the bilateral relationship a notch higher by enhancing mutual cooperation in all possible areas in order to further tap the existing potential for cooperation between Pakistan and the UK. This he said while talking to his British counterpart Ms. Theresa May in London on 26 April 2016. The two leaders discussed a host of issues ranging from cooperation in counter-terrorism,

illegal immigration, organized crimes, counter narcotics, money laundering and other issues of mutual interest.

Secretary May appreciated Pakistan’s efforts in fight against terrorism and assured Britain’s support to Pakistan in this regard. Recalling the law & or-der situation back in 2013, the Interior Minister said that as a result of contin-uous efforts by our armed forces and law enforcement agencies, the security situation has significantly improved.

Discussing measures to further in-crease cooperation in counter-terrorism, it was agreed that a joint team compris-ing of British counter-terrorism experts,

NACTA and officials from Ministry of Interior would be constituted and UK would help in further strengthening of Joint Intelligence Directorate by sharing of expertise and knowledge.

The Minister also took up with his British counterpart the issue of visas for students, officials and business commu-nity of Pakistan. He said that Pakistanis intending to travel to Britain are facing extreme difficulties and inordinate de-lays in the acquisition of visas.

The businessmen of Pakistan are par-ticularly feeling the brunt of this tight-ening of visa regime. Ms. Theresa May assured the Interior Minister that Home

Department would work with the Paki-stan High Commission in London and the authorities in Islamabad to address issues related to visas.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also met the British National Security Adviser Sir Mark Lyall Grant and discussed security cooperation as well as regional situation. The Minister gave a talk on Pakistan security perspective at the International Institute of Strategic Studies. Besides, he attended the annual dinner of The Pakistan Society as the Chief Guest.

Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Minister for Interior and Syed Ibne Abbas Pakistan High Commissioner with his spouse at Pakistan Society 63rd Annual Dinner Party

Interior Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan meets with his British counterpart Ms Theresa May Interior Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan meets British National Security Adviser Mark Lyall- Grant

Interior Minister Ch. Nisar Ali Khan addressing at Institute of Strategic Studies ( IISS), London

Adventure travel in Gilgit-Baltistan

A large number of tour-ists and adventure travellers assembled at the Pakistan High Commission in Lon-don on 29 April 2016.

Author and filmmaker Mick Conefrey, journalist Matthew Green and Wild Frontiers’ founder Jonny Bealby shared with them the thrilling and fascinating tales of adventure travel and best kept secrets from the land of mighty peaks of Pakistan. Their first hand experiences

High Commissioner hosts dinner in honour of General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter

H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas, Pakistan High Commissioner to the UK, hosted a din-ner in honour of General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter CBE, DSO, ADC Chief of General Staff at his official residence on 12 April 2016.

Other guests included FCO Minister for Pakistan Mr Tobias Ellwood MP, Mr James Gray MP, Lady Liz Carter.

The two sides discussed issues of mu-tual interest and bilateral cooperation. General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter visited Pakistan on the invitation of his counterpart General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Army Staff.

supplemented with photo slides of the majestic mountains of Northern areas of Pakistan mesmerized the audience. The attendees comprised many British travellers who, in the past, had travelled to those areas and the event provided them an opportunity to relive their cher-ished memories. The event motivated many young people to visit Pakistan. It may be noted that last year the British government relaxed the travel advisory for its citizens for Gilgit-Balitistan which is likely to increase the number of British

tourists to this area. The speakers ap-prised the audience that the start of the summer is the perfect time to explore these pristine peaks of Gilgit-Balitistan. There are now regular flights to Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan which has signifi-cantly boosted tourism in the region.

Gilgit-Baltistan – the meeting point of the world’s four highest mountain rang-es - the Himalayas, the Karakorams, the Hindukush and the Pamirs--provides a perfect setting for a memorable adven-ture travel destination. Through these

majestic mountain ranges, which have determined for centuries the destiny of the South Asian region, snakes along the ancient Silk Route, navigated by the leg-endary Venetian traveller Marco Polo. Aptly described as the Third Pole, the Roof of the World and a Paradise on earth, Northern Areas of Pakistan offer a unique confluence of history, landscape and biodiversity.

Adventure Travel in Gilgit - Baltistan Talk at the Pakistan High Commission London

Dinner by H.E. Syed Ibne Abbas Pakistan High Commissioner in UK, in honour of General Sir Nicholas Patrick Carter CBE, DSO, ADC Chief of General Staff

Tributes paid to Allama Iqbal at Mehfil-e-Mushaira

Rich tributes were paid to poet philosopher Allama Iqbal at a Mehfil-e-Mus-haira (poetic recital), and live music at the Pakistan High Commission Lon-

don on the evening of 21 April 2016. The High Commission organized the event in collaboration with the Urdu Markaz London.

The poets from across the UK and Pa-kistan recited their popular poems and

ghazals in accordance with the occasion and received thunderous applause from the audience.

Renowned scholar of Iqbaliat Pro-fessor Dr Muhammad Sharif Baqa and acclaimed BBC broadcaster Raza Ali Abidi presented short papers on Iqbal and enlightened the audience about var-ious aspects of his poetry, philosophy and personality.

In his address, Syed Ibne Abbas, High Commissioner, who presided over the

A theatrical production folklore, Jungly Jadoogar

The Wagging Tongues Productions Ltd, in part-nership with the Paki-stan High Commission London presented Jun-gly Jadoogar, a theatrical

play about a journey through traditional South Asian fairy tales with a modern twist. The story presented a mystical adventure of two brothers, Billoo and Gulloo, on their fantastical voyage to rescue Prince Jalfrezi from the clutches of the evil sorceress, Jungly Jadoogar. It was an enthralling family show by Mari-

am Majid and Abid Majid, birthed from the remnants of memories of Cassette Kahani, Alif Lailah and the magical land of Kaukaaf.

Jungly Jadoogar, an English language play, aims to recreate the sense of won-derment from childhood and relates to our younger generation. With its humour, visual effects and fast paced story line, Jungly Jadoogar provided an entertaining experience for adults and children alike, who attended the per-formance in large numbers at Olympia London on 30th April and 1st May 2016.

Mushaira, deliberated upon various di-mensions of Iqbal’s poetry and philoso-phy--the highlight of which was Iqbal’s emphasis on acquiring knowledge and education.

Iqbal’s message is universal and very much relevant in this time and age, and therefore it merits propagation, add-ed the High Commissioner. He also appreciated the poets for their efforts and hard work in serving the national language and spreading the message of

love for Pakistan. He said that the High Commission would continue to pro-vide a platform for cultural events to constructively engage our community in the UK.

A the end, folk singer Ameer Shaukat Ali presented Kalam-e-Iqbal and en-thralled the attendees with his perfor-mance.

A large number of Pakistani com-munity and representatives of media attended the event.

Rich tributes were paid to poet philosopher Allama Iqbal at a Mehfil-e-Mushaira ( Poetic recital) and live music at the Pakistan High Commission London

Poets from across the UK and Pakistan recited their popular poems and ghazals in accordance with the occasion and received thunderous applause from the audience

The Wagging Tongues Productions Ltd, in partnership with the Pakistan High Commission London presented Jungly Jadoogar,

An Evening with Dr. Bilal Qutub at Birmingham

Talk on Global Challenges and Pakistan Foreign Policy

The Pakistan Consulate Birmingham organized an evening with re-nowned religious schol-ar Dr. Bilal Qutub on 25 April 2016. The theme of

the evening was “Tolerance, Acceptance

and Integration.” A large number of ex-patriate Pakistanis belonging to different walks of life attended the event.

The proceedings of the evening re-volved around the life of the Pakistani community in the British society. Dr. Qutub in his remarks elaborated on how

the British Pakistanis could further in-tegrate into the British society without giving up on their own cultural identity.

Dr. Qutub’s remarks were followed by interesting debate on contemporary issues. The message that the audience took home was that the Ulema in the

mosques and parents at home had a key role to play in guiding the youth. The expats were delighted to have such an enlightening evening.

The Consul General of Pakistan Dr. Zahoor Ahmed gave a talk at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) on “Global Challenges and

Pakistan Foreign Policy”. He also met the Vice Chancellor Mike Thomas and discussed avenues of cooperation in higher education.

The Vice Chancellor said that Pa-

kistan is an important partner to the University not only in terms of students recruitment since a large number of Pakistani diaspora lives in the vicinity of the university but also in terms of academic research and exchange pro-gramme involving counterpart Pakistani institutions and scholars. He also in-formed that the University was offering scholarship for one Pakistani student in Nutrition Studies every year and is plan-

ning a major event to celebrate Pakistan’s 70th Independence Day next year.

The Consul General gave a talk on major international challenges and in-formed the students about diplomacy as a possible career choice. He explained the basic contours of Pakistan foreign policy including Kashmir and other global issues. The Consul General also briefed students of international politics and economics on Pakistan’s progress in

the economic and educational sectors. The talk was followed by lively question answer session.

UCLAN is the 5th largest Universi-ty of UK with two campuses located at Preston and Burnley. At present, 10% of total student body comes from South Asian background including 40 students from Pakistan.

Musical evening with Pakistani folk singer Dr Amjad Pervaiz at Manchester

Consulate General of Pakistan Manchester organised an evening with renowned Paki-stani singer Dr Amjad Pervaiz at the Pakistani

Community Center Longsight, Man-chester on 18 May 2016.

A large number of members of the community attended the event and ap-preciated the performance of Dr Amjad Pervaiz.

Dr Amjad presented folk songs and ghazals of great poets of Urdu including Meer, Ghalib, Faiz and Nasir Kazmi.

Thanking the artist Consul General Zahoor Ahmed said that Dr Amjad rep-resents the best of Pakistsn’s art heritage and creativity.

He is a varsatile artist and role model who has excelled in academics, sports and fine arts.

The Consul General of Pakistan Dr. Zahoor Ahmed gave a talk at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) on “Global Challenges and Pakistan Foreign Policy”

Renowned Pakistani singer Dr Amjad Pervaiz at the Pakistani Community Center Longsight, Manchester

Renowned Pakistani religious scholar Dr. Bilal Qutub at the Pakistan Consulate Birmingham. The theme of the evening was “Tolerance, Acceptance and Integration.”

Mention Pakistan and sport and sure-ly cricket is the first thing that springs to mind? If not then perhaps the national sport of hockey? And if not these two then it must be squash where we once were world champions? In any case, surely none of them ended up in bro-ken bones?

In the north of Pakistan and in par-ticular the two mountain towns of Gilgit and Chitral, the only sport on anyone’s

mind right now is polo. We’re not talking about Hurlingham Rules polo but polo in its original and wildest form. It is this freestyle form with very few rules that often ends with injuries as passionate riders charge at one another at break-neck speed to score goals.

This freestyle form of polo originated some 2000 years ago in Ancient Persia and was brought to the north of Pakistan by Moghul empire almost 500 years ago.

To this day it is still played daily and the most popular sport of the north al-though it is still played by the elite and well to do.

Why is everyone getting excited about polo now? Every year in July, the two rival towns of Gilgit and Chitral hold a three-day festival at a polo field on the Shandur Pass, which at 3800m makes it the highest polo field in the world. Not only that but the stunning vistas

reflecting in Shandur Lake will leave you as breathless as the action.

Over the years this festival has grown to become a major tourist destination with markets, local cultural shows and much singing and dancing into the night to entertain visitors.

The Shandur Polo Festival 2016 takes place from the 22nd July to 24th July.

Mesmerising view of Shandur Lake