Pak-China Friendship Association Balochistan

(An Introduction) The Pakistan China Friendship Association Balochistan was established in 1973 by Senator (R) Syed Faseih Iqbal, a journalist by profession, who is still its founding President. Within one year of its inception, the Association became very active in 1974 with its initial membership of about a dozen people including politicians, retired government functionaries and journalists. The association kept expanding and during these four decades a large number of eminent personalities have become its member. During the first five years of its existence (1973-78) the Association actively participated in the programmes of All Pakistan China Friendship Association Islamabad and held functions at Quetta whenever the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China or other senior officials of the Chinese Embassy visited Quetta in order to highlight Pak-China friendly relations. During that period, the Association also distributed and disseminated literature about China received by it from different sources including the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan. In 1978, the Presidentship of the Association was assumed by another prominent social and political figure of Balochistan; Sardar Gul Muhammad Jogezai. With the passage of time, the membership of Pak-China Friendship Association Balochistan increased and same was the case of friendship between Pakistan and China which continued to be strengthening with each passing day. Sardar Gul Muhammad Jogezai who later became the Federal Minister and then the Governor of Balochistan retained the Presidentship of the Association upto 1993. During this period, Chinese writers delegations and the Chinese acrobats team visited Balochistan and the Association held reception and other functions in their honour. In 1993, the Presidentship of the Association was again taken over by its founding

President, the then Senator Syed Faseih Iqbal. Since then, the Association is contributing vigorous efforts towards strengthening of Pak-China relations. It played exclusively active part during the visit of the Madam Vice Premier as the Chairperson of Consultative Committee. It organizes lectures from time to time on Pak-China friendly relations which are delivered by senior university professors of repute and attended by the university and college students and intelligentsia. The scholars highlight different aspects of Pak-China friendship including economic cooperation projects like Siandak Gold and Copper Project, Duddar Mining Project Bela and Gwadar Deep Sea Port in Balochistan that are significant milestones in Pak-China relations. The Association is playing constructive role in further cementing Pak-China friendship on politically and geographically vital province of Balochistan which is area wise about half of Pakistan with long border line with Afghanistan and Iran, and has rich natural and coastal resources including world famous Sui Gas, copper and gold reservoirs, and a large number of other minerals. Syed Faseih Iqbal has led delegations of Pak-China Friendship Association to China on three occasions on the invitation of Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Beijing in the capacity of Associations President. He has also visited China on many other occasions as a member of parliamentary delegations from Pakistan, accompanied heads of state on visits to China and has had the honor to meet great Chinese leaders. A delegation of Peoples Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Beijing has also visited Pakistan on his invitation. He has also hosted many Chinese friends, eminent personalities and ambassadors on various occasions in his individual capacity as well as President of the Association. From Associations platform, Syed Faseih Iqbal has also taken initiatives for improving people to people contacts, promoting cultural and educational exchanges, and intensifying media coverage on national events to further the friendly ties between the two countries.