Editorial
Pakistan and the UAE enjoy fraternal relations, based on deep-rooted cultural affinities, shared faith, traditions, values, geographic proximity, and identity of interests. These
cordial relations are as old as when UAE was founded in 1971 and since then the relations evolved into cooperation in various fields.
UAE has remained one of the major economic partners of Pakistan and supported in every thick and thin. Along with this, UAE has been always appreciative of Pakistan’s contribution to the development and evolution of important institutions of Emirates including armed
forces, police, health, and education through skilled manpower.
These men of excellence from Pakistan have contributed to developing relations to a much higher level. A large number of Pakistani expatriates, numbering nearly 400,000 are gainfully employed in UAE. The Pakistani expatriates in UAE have contributed in a significant manner to the promotion of bilateral understanding and to the economy of Pakistan through their home remittances.
The people of UAE reciprocated in the same manner and did a tremendous amount of development work in Pakistan. Regular exchanges of high-level visits and usual bilateral consultations between the two countries are reflective of the fact that Pakistan and UAE have laid strong foundations of mutually beneficial relations, friendship, and peaceful cooperation over the years.
On the 12th of January, 2011, the UAE Pakistan Assistance Program(UAEPAP) was launched
in order to help and provide assistance to Pakistan and mitigate the impact of floods
by redeveloping infrastructure, as per the directives of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin
Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the United Arab Emirates.
The UAE PAP has worked along with a comprehensive redevelopment plan that takes into account the harsh geography and the rough weather conditions of the region while focusing on four main areas of social redevelopment: health, education, water, and infrastructure.
The program has taken some vital steps to ease the pain and suffering that the people of Swat. Teams from UAE Military Relief Force, charitable foundations and organizations played a dutiful role in the rescue, distribution of supplies and rehabilitation of victims of the earthquake of 2005 and floods of 2010 through lengthy operations carried out by Chinooks helicopters in the most flood-affected regions of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan Provinces.
UAE Military Field Hospitals were installed in many remote areas of the country to treat thousands of flood victims and launch necessary vaccination campaigns to save children, women, and elderly people from diseases. Under the directives of HH the President of
UAE, a joint relief team was recently formed by representatives of UAE Armed Forces,
Khalifa Bin Zayed Humanitarian Foundation, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Charitable and
humanitarian Foundation, the Red Crescent, and Sharjah Charity society for providing
humanitarian assistance to the flood-affected people in Sindh.
The team which arrived in Karachi in mid-September, 2011 was rigorously engaged in providing shelters and foodstuff to the floods victims in several inundated districts of Sind Province: Badin, Sanghar Mohammed Tando Khan, Mirpur Khas, Nawabshah, etc. The team personally distributed tons of foodstuff, mosquito nets, bottled water, a dozen of water purification plants and sheltered over 35 thousand displaced families in the UAE tentage located in suitable dry places selected with the cooperation of civil and military authorities present in the districts.
These kinds of programs and support has won the hearts and minds of the people of Pakistan in such a great the manner that Pakistanis consider UAE as their second home and always cherish the love and congeniality they receive upon being in UAE.
UAE has also played an important role in the formation of Friends of Democratic Pakistan
(FoDP). Initially, UAE hosted many meetings (ministerial & public-private conferences) of
FoDP and tried its best to highlight the aim, importance and utility of this forum to the
world at large and for the socio-economic development of Pakistan. Time and again,
UAE government reaffirmed its support to Pakistan to help overcome its macro-economic
difficulties.
The Diplomatic Insight extends heartfelt felicitate on 42nd National Day of United Arab
Emirates
