Documentary highlights North Korea’s history, successes

Kim Jong-il's 69th birth anniversary celebrated in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD: North Korean leader Kim Jong Il’s 69th birthday was celebrated by the Pakistan-Korea Friendship Association in Islamabad on Friday night. The night presented an opportunity for North Koreans to commemorate the occasion and celebrate it with their their local “close friends”.

The gathering was an intimate event with a few embassy officials and Pakistani participants.

An informative documentary about North Korea’s history played in the backdrop, expanding on the history of North Korea and its successes as an independent nation.

At the end of the hall, booklets about the bilateral relations between Pakistan and Korea were placed on a table for guests to pick up and read.

Famous faces were also spotted in the audience including some big political names.

The association’s Chairperson Zafar Bakhtawari, who was also the organiser of the event, started off by introducing the guests and spoke about the importance of Pakistan and Korea’s relation.

As the event unfolded, speakers narrated the successes of North Korea as an independent state.

“Pakistani leaders need to learn from the Korean experiences to be able to stand on their own feet,” said Lt General Retired Abdul Qayyum.

He also highlighted the need for Pakistan and Korea to try to look for more avenues of co-operation in order to further strengthen this relationship.

Ri Yong, the Ambassador of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), was the chief guest and to everyone’s surprise gave a speech in Urdu. He spoke about the relationship and expectations that his country has from Pakistan. He also talked about their leaders’ aims and their goals, which helped the country succeed as a nation “without outside help.”

Former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Malik Hamad Khan and his wife, Senator Tariq Azim, and other guests were at the centre table. When Khan addressed the audience, he said that attending this event was his last official commitment, and though he initially refused due to other commitments, he was directed by the prime minister to attend the function.

“This signifies the importance of North Korea’s friendship with Pakistan,” Khan said. Senator Azim spoke about the self-reliance of the country especially in the areas of defence.

“We thank the support of the DPRK for the election of Pakistan to a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for 2012,” said Minister of Foreign Affairs Director General Jamshed Iftikhar in his speech.

Later, a cake was cut to celebrate the “Dear Leader’s” birthday and traditional Pakistani dishes were served with special Korean tea.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2011.