Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Brazilian Ambassador to Pakistan Claudio Raja Gabaglia Lins said that Brazil and Pakistan faced similar challenges of poverty and climate change.

He was speaking as chief guest at the 11th Corporate Ambassador’s Awards at a local hotel in Islamabad.

Speaking on the occasion, Brazilian Ambassador Claudio Lins stated that there Were several similarities between Brazil and Pakistan. “Both countries have about each two hundred million inhabitants, and that the people of both countries are very hospitable and friendly,” he said.

He appreciated Javed Mahmood for organising the awards to acknowledge the work of the organisations and individuals. “This appreciation encourages people to achieve more excellence in their business, profession and career,” he said.

“There are many university teachers in Peshawar and elsewhere in Pakistan, who have obtained their professional degrees from Brazil. The Embassy of Brazil in Islamabad offers free courses in Portuguese language, and also courses in capoeira, a unique Brazilian martial art dance, which has developed with a mixture of influences from Africa and other countries,” he said.

Dr Ashfaque H Khan, Dean of NUST School of Social Sciences and Humanities and former economic adviser to Finance Ministry, said that the government was not projecting a good picture of the country’s economy abroad. “The actual economic situation is not being shared with the people,” he said

He appreciated the awards, stating that they would encourage economic development.

The ambassador of Brazil was welcomed with bouquets of flowers upon his arrival at the venue. Farhan Wilayat Butt of the Pakistan Peacekeeping Mission presented a traditional Ajrak and Sindhi cap to the chief guest.

Dr Murtaza Mughal, the President of the Pakistan Economy Watch, delivered the welcome address. He thanked the chief guest for joining the 11th Corporate Ambassador’s Awards to support the initiative.

Dr Murtaza said that such awards were essential to encourage the people engaged in achieving excellence in their field, business, career and they must be supported for further progress.

Aamna Rauf Malik said that Pakistanis were very hospitable people and they were like Brazil and its people. Aamna Malik, who is senior educationist/trainer and founder of the Fog-Light, a charity organisation engaged in the capacity-building of teachers, said that her mission was to impart training to the teachers who rarely got opportunities of capacity building and training.

“I established ‘Fog-Light’ with the aim to give training to the teachers for their capacity building and improvement in their teacher patterns,” she said.

Aamna Malik said that the government and the private sector should focus their energies on strengthening the education sector of the country.

Published in Daily Times, November 6^th 2017.