In compliance with its constitution, Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) held its Annual General Body Meeting last Thursday. The function was organized at the lawns of Pakistan Sports and Recreation Club. The Executive Committee of PAD has set a good example by publicizing their progress report and presenting themselves before the members for accountability.

General Secretary, Muhammad Khaleeq, using a multimedia presentation, elaborated on all activities that took place during the year 2009-10. For the first time in the 47-year history of PAD a fully audited report of the Welfare Account was presented. Before presentation of a very detailed, fact-based and comprehensive report, the session was started with recitation from the Holy Qur’aan and a beautiful tribute (Na’at) to the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him).

The event was a good example of organization and discipline: Identity of participating members was verified at the club entrance with the help of a computerized database, another first-ever.

Every header of the Financial Report was clearly displayed and explained. The audience listened to the details with keen interest. A comprehensive progress report (including financials) was presented about the construction of the Multipurpose Hall project. The members present at the function not only appreciated the efforts of PAD team on this project but many of them said, “with such a transparent report, all misunderstandings about this project have vanished.”

After the report, a Q&A session was held in which the President and General Secretary answered several questions of the members. Mr. Muhammad Akram Raja, a veteran long-term member, suggested that demographic data about Pakistani professionals in UAE (doctors, engineers, bankers etc.) should be collected and all these groups should be assembled under the umbrella of PAD for the wider benefit of the community. PAD president supported this view and explained, “our Embassy and Consulate should play their role in collecting this information.” He explained further that some success has already been achieved by forming new wings like medical wing and mariners’ wing, besides the already existing, more general, professionals’ wing.

One of the members raised his concern about the fee being paid to the consulting firm for the hall construction. In his view the fee was high. Riaz Farooq Sahi, president of PAD, explained that all the decisions related to the contract award and consultant fee were taken by the Head of Construction Committee, Mr. Haji Rafiq Giga in consultation with other available members of the committee. It is to be noted that the Chief Patron of this Committee is H.E. The Consul General of Pakistan in Dubai and both the consultant and contractor are Pakistani companies. “PAD team is bound to abide by the decisions of the Construction Committee,” explained Mr. Sahi.

Responding to another question seeking explanation for abnormally high election expenses, Riaz Farooq Sahi said, “the election was supervised by the Ad hoc Committee headed by Mr. Ashraaf Dawood who is answerable for this expense. He alluded further that his new team inherited a substantial negative balance in the Welfare Account from the Ad hoc Committee.

President of Pakistan Sharjah Social Center, Chaudhry Zafar, who is also a member of Pakistan Association Dubai, expressed his desire that PAD team should have included a few individuals in its Executive Committee from the group that lost the previous election. In response, Muhammad Khaleeq explained that representation from all provinces of Pakistan in the Executive Committee has been ensured. “We did invite Mr. Noor-ul-Hasan Tanvir of Muslim League (N) and Mr. Iskander Sultan Khawaja, previous Chairman of Pakistan Business Council, to join PAD Executive Committee who turned down the invitations in writing.” It is to be noted that both the gentlemen were in the opponent camp in the last election.

Riaz Farooq Sahi, thanked Allah (swt) and thanked his team for all the achievements. He welcomed all members of the association to come forward, provide their constructive feedback and support to take the performance of PAD to the next level. “We are answerable, firstly to Allah, and then to each and every member of the community; it is your right to question our actions and decisions,” said Sahi. At this occasion the president announced that the financial aid promised by Pakistan’s Prime Minister Mr. Yusuf Raza Gilani and the Federal Minister for Labor and Manpower, Mr. Syed Khursheed Shah will pour in and the construction of multipurpose hall will soon be completed. He announced further that PAD, with the help of its Medical Wing, will launch a Free Medical Dispensary on no-loss, no-profit basis and a Day-Care Hospital. The audience applauded these initiatives.

In the end, the President invited his entire Executive Committee on to the stage to present itself to the members. The function was concluded with a buffet dinner.