Pakistan Canada Association

The Consulate General of Pakistan in conjunction with Pakistan-Canada Association held an open reception for Pakistan’s Winter Olympic Team. Here is a short clip of Giant Slalom Skier Mr. Muhammad Abbas and Coach Mr. Zahid Farooq addressing the wildly enthusiastic crowd at Pakistan House. More clips and pictures will be posted shortly:

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, 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.

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…”

The 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.