New Zealand Prime Minister, Christopher Luxon participated in a grand Pakistan Independence Day celebration held in Auckland on Saturday.
Minister for Ethnic Communities Mark Mitchell, Leader of the opposition and former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, High Commissioner of Pakistan to New Zealand Faisal Aziz Ahmed and many members of Parliament attended the ceremony.
Addressing the big gathering of Kiwi Pakistanis, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon felicitated Pakistan on its Independence Day.
He highlighted the long standing, warm and friendly relations between Pakistan and New Zealand and lauded the contribution of the Pakistani community towards New Zealand’s development.
Earlier, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Dr Faisal Aziz Ahmed performed a symbolic flag hoisting ceremony, and gifted Pakistan-made shawls to the Prime Minister and other dignitaries.
Besides flag hoisting, the event featured poetry recitals, cultural performances, video screenings, and national and patriotic songs. A new interactive PANZ website was unveiled on the occasion.
Participation by the New Zealand Prime Minister in an event marking Pakistan’s Independence Day was lauded as a special gesture of goodwill for Pakistan.
The event was hosted by the Pakistan Association of New Zealand with support from the Pakistan High Commission, the New Zealand Ministry of Ethnic Communities and numerous Auckland based Pakistanis businesses.
It was part of a series of high profile events being held in various New Zealand cities to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day celebrations.
