Ambassador Khadija is leaving Pakistan after six years as she has been elected as Member of Somali parliament. She said she would happily like to serve as Pakistan’s ambassador to Somalia

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD:  Ambassador of Somalia to Pakistan Khadija Mohamed Almakhzoumi has said she was leaving Pakistan on a positive note and when relations between the two countries were on an upward trajectory. She made these remarks while speaking on the occasion of farewell lunch hosted by Zafar Bakhtawari.

Ambassadors of African countries as well as former Senators and businessmen attended the lunch. Besides, officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were also present on the occasion.

Ambassador Khadija is leaving Pakistan after six years as she has been elected as Member of Somali parliament. She said she would happily like to serve as Pakistan’s ambassador to Somalia.

 ‘As Somali Ambassador to Pakistan, I considered my role was to facilitate the contacts between the players in the economic field, to get them to know each other better and also to interconnect in a better way’ and I am pleased to announce that I was able to bring peoples of both countries even closer’.

She further said, in 1969, Pakistan and Somalia were among the founding members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). Somalia’s relations with Pakistan remained strong in the following years and through the ensuing civil war period, when the Pakistani military contributed to a UN peacekeeping operation in southern Somalia.

She hoped that even in future this cooperation will continue adding she would continue to play her role for further strengthening and promotion of bilateral relations.

The host Zafar Bakhtawari in his speech paid rich tributes to the outgoing ambassador and recognized her services which she rendered for promotion and strengthening of bilateral relations.

He said, during her tenure a number of milestones were achieved. He said Somalia actively participated the both OIC conferences organized by Pakistan.

He said Pakistan accorded huge importance to its relations with the African and Arab countries adding Africa happens to be an emerging market and Pakistani businessmen must benefit from this opportunity.

Former Senator Abdul Qayyum also spoke on the occasion and expressed best wishes for Ambassador Khadija for her future role as a parliamentarian.