RSS

7. February 2010

6 Comments

Pakistani skier qualifies for Vancouver 2010

Pakistani skier Mohammad Abbas became the first man in the country’s history to qualify for the the Winter Olympics, to be held from Feb 12 in Vancouver, Canada. A ceremony was arranged at the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad to honour Abbas. Canadian High Commissioner Randolph Mank, office-bearers of the ski federation, Abbas, [...]

Continue reading...

Pakistani skier qualifies for Vancouver 2010

Sun, Feb 7, 2010

6 Comments

skiing-app-608Pakistani skier Mohammad Abbas became the first man in the country’s history to qualify for the the Winter Olympics, to be held from Feb 12 in Vancouver, Canada. A ceremony was arranged at the Canadian High Commission in Islamabad to honour Abbas. Canadian High Commissioner Randolph Mank, office-bearers of the ski federation, Abbas, politicians and diplomats attended the ceremony in large number.

Abbas was part of a group of eight Pakistani skiers that undertook a nine-week advanced training-cum-competition tour of Europe early last year in a bid to earn points and qualification for the Winter Olympics. A skier automatically qualifies for the Winter Olympics if he has an average of 120 Federation de International Skiing points, something which was expected of at least half the team but only Abbas could manage.

Ski Federation of Pakistan (SFP), led by its President Air Marshal Shahid Lateef, had sponsored the trip and had in fact been providing financial, logistical and coaching support to the selected skiers for the past couple of years.

Abbas and almost all members of the team belong to the Northern Areas which is the home to the country’s top ski resort at Nalter, near Gilgit.

Continue reading...

Haiti Fundraising Update

Fri, Jan 22, 2010

0 Comments

As of today’s date we have collected a total of $1800 for the people of Haiti. Your generous online contributions will be forwarded to Doctors without Borders (www.msf.ca) for their Emergency Relief Fund. Receipts will be issued in the coming weeks and will arrive shortly there after.

The situation is still extremely dire in Haiti and the need for help is immense. Pakistan-Canada Association will continue to do its part in helping our fellow brothers and sisters. Our online donation drive will continue for as long as it needs to.

As the Holy Quran says, ‘…saving one life is as if you have saved all of humanity…”

Continue reading...

Press Release: Haiti Earthquake Relief

Thu, Jan 14, 2010

0 Comments

A-child-injured-in-an-ear-001The membership and executive of Pakistan-Canada Association wish to extend our sincere sympathy and solidarity for the people of the Caribbean nation of Haiti.  The devastation and tragedy caused by this magnitude 7.0 earthquake is immeasurable and a great deal needs to be done to bring this nation back to its feet.  The people of Pakistan know all to well the effects an earthquake can have as it was only 5 years ago that an even greater quake struck Northern Pakistan, Afghanistan and India claiming more than 75,000 lives and impacting hundreds of thousands more.

The Pakistani-Canadians of British Columbia have an opportunity to give back and help a nation and a people in need.  Pakistan-Canada Association has reinstated its Online Donation System (via PayPal) to collect funds for earthquake relief (system will be active as of Friday January 15th).  It is our intention to give all funds collected to Doctors without Borders, a multi-national organization that puts medical professionals on the ground where they are needed the most.  Please donate and donate generously.  Whether it be through Pakistan-Canada Association or privately please do what you can in this time of need.

Please stay tuned for more fund raising efforts from Pakistan-Canada Association for the people of Haiti.  May God grant them strength and patience in this tragic time.

<form action=”https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr” method=”post”>
<input type=”hidden” name=”cmd” value=”_s-xclick”>
<input type=”hidden” name=”hosted_button_id” value=”11208478″>
<input type=”image” src=”https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif” border=”0″ name=”submit” alt=”PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online!”>
<img alt=”" border=”0″ src=”https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif” width=”1″ height=”1″>
</form>
Continue reading...

Zoom on Pakistan – A Mountain Climbing Hero Returns

Tue, Nov 24, 2009

0 Comments

Making his second visit to Vancouver, Pakistani mountain climber extraordinaire Nazir Sabir returns on December 1st for an evening of mountain climbing lore and celebration:

att2CBD

In order to promote the mountains of Pakistan, the Consulate General in collaboration with Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival (VIMFF) is organizing a special event Zoom on Pakistan on Tuesday, December 1 at the Centennial Theatre at 2300 Lonsdale Avenue, North Vancouver.

The presentation will explore Pakistan from a variety of perspectives, each with a unique take on what makes it so unique. The show will feature multimedia presentations and films from Pakistan by world-class speakers.  They will celebrate the natural beauties of the Northern Regions of Pakistan, the hospitality of the locals, climbing and other outdoor adventures

Nazir Sabir (Pakistan): “Higher Heavens”

A visual trip across most of Pakistan’s mountains, valleys and people as Nazir Sabir recounts the stories of his climbs and spiritual experiences over almost three decades.

Nazir Sabir is Pakistan’s most accomplished high altitude climber. Among other things, he climbed the inhospitable K2 (8616m) the world’s hardest and second highest mountain via a new route. He also stood on the summit of Everest becoming the first Pakistani to have touched the roof of the world. He is currently the President of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. He has earned many prestigious awards. He is a spiritual person and has also been raising his voice on environmental matters in the mountains of Pakistan.

Tickets are $13 advance and $15 at the door.  Advance tickets are available on-line at www.vimff.org or through the Centennial theatre box office 604 984-4484. Doors open for a reception at 6:30pm and the show starts at 7:30pm.

Continue reading...

Al-Jamia Masjid Vancouver: Ramadan Spirit

Sat, Aug 29, 2009

1 Comment

8818_131290696365_555666365_2957932_1575153_nThe first mosque in Western Canada, Al-Jamia Masjid Vancouver, stands as a beacon for all Muslims to come together and join in the spirit of Ramadan. This Ramadan, Iftar is being provided each night, thanks to the kind donations of generous members of the community.

On September 9th, our Third Annual Ramadan Spirit: Feed the Homeless drive will take place on Main and Hastings in Vancouver starting at 4 pm. The Mayor of Vancouver, Gregor Robertson along with Consul General Moin-Ul-Haque will be on hand along with a host of volunteers and community activists. Our goal this year is to provide 1000 meals to the needy of the downtown eastside, double what we were able to achieve last year.

We need your help to make all this happen. To help with the Iftar or Feed the Homeless drive please contact Haroon Khan at 604-720-8054 or Raza Mirani at 778-859-9469.  We are also accepting non-perishable canned or packaged food for the Greater Vancouver Food Bank each night during Ramadan.

Continue reading...

Rahman Family Update

Sat, Aug 22, 2009

0 Comments

kidsFour Surrey children are one step closer to being reunited with their parents after nearly four years in foster care.

The B.C. Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for Muzzammil and Muhammad Attiq-Ur Rahman, in their fight to regain custody of their children.

“The Pakistani community and all our family are very happy,” the children’s father, Muhammad Attiq-Ur Rahman, said Thursday.

He said he did not want to comment further until the case is resolved.

Robert Hamilton, who represented the father in the case, said “[both parents] are pleased with the outcome, they are going to work cooperatively to try and get these children home.”

The four Rahman children (now 10, nine, seven and six) were removed from the custody of their parents in 2005 after their two-year-old cousin died while in their mother’s care.

“There was no suggestion of any abuse of any of the children,” said Matthew Nathanson, who represented the mother in the Supreme Court appeal. “The sole reason for them being apprehended was the death of the niece.”

According to court documents, the two-year-old girl fell from a chair while eating and hit her head. Muzzammil Rahman was in the washroom at the time, but her four young children witnessed the fall and alerted her.

When she found the child unconscious and not breathing, the mother, who spoke limited English and had no transportation, immediately took the child to a neighbour.

The neighbour found pieces of waffle in the child’s mouth and throat, removed it and called 911.

“On the 911 call, you can hear the child choking,” said Nathanson.

Although the child had a pre-existing medical condition and the mother immediately sought medical help, she was charged with manslaughter.

In May of 2008, she was acquitted.

“My client was found not guilty by an experienced judge who carefully reviewed all of the complex evidence in this case,” said Nathanson.

After the acquittal, the parents immediately began court proceedings to get their children back.

However, Surrey Provincial Court Judge Marilynn Borowicz determined, in spite of the acquittal, that the child who died was a victim of “severe, sustained, and unexplained child abuse.”

She ruled the Rahman children should stay in foster care.

In his judgment overturning Borowicz, Justice Grant Burnyeat said she had made “a critical omission” in her ruling by not giving an explanation for how she arrived at her conclusions.

In a scathing report, he wrote, “There is a complete failure to either review or analyze any of the expert evidence.”

It was on the basis of this failure that Burnyeat overturned Borowicz’s ruling.

Hamilton and Nathanson said their clients will work cooperatively with all parties with the objective of having their children returned home.

Continue reading...
See more articles in the archive
FireStats icon Powered by FireStats