Lord mayor of Birmingham visits orphanage in Pakistan

Lord Mayor of Birmingham Chaudhry Muhammad Afzal on Sunday has said that the Pakistani and Kashmiri diasporas in the United Kingdom are playing a vital role in the development of the country.

“I am the living example before you. Birmingham is the largest council in Britain and I was elected its first Muslim member in 1982. The UK is the land of opportunities where an honest and hardworking person can touch heights of  [their] career," Afzal remarked during an address to the Pakistan Sweet Home – a non-profit orphanage.

He added that people could make progress with hard work and dedication.

Afzal further said that he was glad to be in Pakistan and had realised that the future of this country was in safe hands.

Talking about his life’s struggle, Afzal stated that he was elected a councilor when he entered politics for the first time and was accepted by everyone because he had been elected with the “power of the vote”.

“There is no culture of advocacy in the UK. There is a strong justice system,” he said.

On the occasion, Chairperson Jammu and Kashmir Salvation Movement (J&KSM) Bhat said that the children of Pakistan Sweet Home had always stood for their brothers and sisters in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), and that the orphanage's chairperson Zamrud Khan had made sure the Kashmir issue is not forgotten by arranging demonstrations and rallies with us.

Read Homing the country’s orphans

Bhat further said that the children of the Home should play their role in exposing Indian atrocities in IIOJK through the internet by tagging international organisations and asking them why Kashmiri children were being denied basic human rights.

He added that the August 5, 2019 move of the Modi government of India was economically motivated and aimed at breaking the will of the people of IIOJK.

Bhat stated that the Indian occupational forces destroyed apple trees, saffron fields and business activities were halted, causing local farmers to lose billions of dollars in business.

Birmingham Councilor Raja Ayaz said that the act of charity was widespread in England, and so he would ask the chairperson of Pakistan Sweet Home to come to the UK to raise funds for the children.

Khan gave a brief introduction and spoke of the achievements of the orphanage, which were lauded by the guests.

The reception was hosted by Chairperson J&KSM Bhat and chairperson Pakistan Sweet Home Zamrud Khan.

Earlier, Lord Mayor Afzal was received by Bhat and Khan. The children of the orphanage presented Afzal with a flower bouquet, after which the guests were given a tour of the premises.