President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva was named “The Symbol of Humanism – The Person of the Year 2012” in Pakistan

Pakistan’s influential Daily Times newspaper and Women Volunteers Organization named First Lady of Azerbaijan, President of the  Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva “The Symbol of Humanism – The Person of the Year 2012”. A presentation ceremony was held at Serena Hotel of Islamabad, January 22nd.

The event was attended by acting Chairman of Pakistan’s National Assembly Fasal Karim Kundi, Deputy President of the Senate  Sabir Baluj, Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Committee for Humanitarian Affairs, Minister Rubina Saadat Kaimkhani, Chairman of the Senate’s Information and Broadcasting Committee Hajji Goulam Ali, Chairman of the Committee for Defence and Defence Industry Mashahid Hussein, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Hajji Adil, Chairman of the Discipline Committee Seyid Mashadi, Chairman of the Internal Affairs Committee Mahammad Talha Mahmoud, Senator Osman Seyfulla Khan, Head of the Islamabad City Executive Authority Tarik Pirzada, Pakistan’s former Interior Minister, Senator Vasim Khan, member of the National Assembly Humayun Seyfulla Khan, Chairman of Islamabad Chamber of Trade and Industry Zafar Bakhtavari and other state and government officials, well-known persons, rectors of influential universities, correspondents and ambassadors of a series of countries in Islamabad.

Chairperson of the Women Volunteers Organization Samina Shah gave comprehensive information of the projects implemented in Pakistan following the initiative of and with support from  Azerbaijan’s First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva. It was noted that a school for girls was built in 2007 following Mehriban Aliyeva’s initiative and with her support in the Pakistani city of Muzaffarabad that suffered from a strong earthquake. In 2012, the school  was basically repaired and reconstructed. Within the framework of series of humanitarian aids in Pakistan, the Foundation has arranged medical examination of children that found asylum at “Edhi Home” orphanage, and vaccination was done against Hepatitis B. Free-of-charge medical examination was arranged for the poor at Peshawar city’s “Akbar Care” Cerebral Paralysis Institute and Women and Children Hospital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region’s Lakki Marwat city, open heart surgeries were financed at Islamabad city’s “Kulsum International” clinic, an ambulance provided with   state-of-the-art blood-transfusion equipment and a laboratory, as well as 2000 blood-transfusion packages presented to Hamsa Foundation (Peshawar), financial aid provided for the new building  of Khyber Eye Foundation, Iftar tables were arranged in Ramadan Holiday in all regions of Pakistan,  sacrificed animals were cut at Gurban Bayram and distributed among the poor in Lakki Marwat district and Punjab region.

Mrs Samina Shah said that, considering all the above, the Daily Times newspaper and Women Volunteers Organization named Mehriban Aliyeva  “The Symbol of Humanism – The Person of the Year 2012”.

A video reflecting noble and benevolent activity of President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, as well as charity actions held by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in foreign countries including Pakistan was showed.

Acting Chairman of Pakistan’s National Assembly Fasal Karim Kundi evaluated Mehriban Aliyeva’s activity in Pakistan as an obvious indicator of friendly relations between the two brotherly countries. He specifically emphasized that Mehriban Aliyeva’s close participation in solution of women and children’s issues coincided with the ideas of Pakistan’s great daughter Benazir Bhutto.

Talking of the developing brotherly relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan, Mr. Kundi said these relations covered all spheres of life. Noting the steps taken by the Pakistani Government towards solution of social issues, attention paid to the development of humanitarian, public health and education spheres, Fasal Karim Kundi underlined that the humanitarian actions taken in all regions of Pakistan on the initiative of and with support from the First Lady of Azerbaijan have strengthened the friendly and brotherly relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan further. 

Then Fasal Karim Kundi presented the award Azerbaijan’s First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva was honoured with - “The Symbol of Humanism – The Person of the Year 2012” - to Azerbaijan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Dashgyn Shikarov.

Ambassador Dashgyn Shikarov thanked the management and employees of  the Daily Times newspaper and the Women Volunteers Organization for the event organized and rewarding Azerbaijan’s First Lady with such a high title.

The diplomat underlined that the fact that this Award was presented by the acting Chairman of the Pakistani Parliament was of special importance.

The ceremony was finalized with a concert program performed by famous schoolchildren instrumental band.

The presentation ceremony was broadly covered in Pakistan’s influential mass media such as “Pakistan Observer”, “The News”, “Daily Times” and “The Nation”, “DNA News”, “Centreline”, also PTV, DRY News, Vakt TV, CNBC  and other local channels.