Australia brings Sydney performers to Karachi

Australia funds Balochistan development, ECP staff training.

KARACHI: Australian High Commission is bringing laughter to Karachi to celebrate ‘Australia Day in Spring’ across three cities - Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Australian High Commissio-ner Peter Heyward brought Sydney performers trio ‘Chrome’ - who dress up in various costumes and perform synchronised dances - for the first time in Pakistan. “Australia Day in Spring is a celebration of Australia in Pakistan and, like last year, we are staging these events in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad this week,” he said, at a press conference at Avari Towers. He was joined by Nicola Watkinson, Australia’s new senior trade and investment commissioner for South Asia.

The high commissioner said he was delighted to introduce Chrome to Pakistan. Comprising talented performers Craig Fortey, Graeme Rhodes and Paul Wilson, the Chrome has performed at many prestigious arts and cultural events and expositions including the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. “I am sure our Pakistani guests will love Chrome’s performances,” he said. After their performance in Karachi on Monday, the trio will perform in Lahore on April 17 and in Islamabad on April 20.

The high commissioner also reaffirmed Australia’s commitment on further developing trade and investment opportunities. “Building on our long-standing friendship and recognising the challenges facing Pakistan.” Nicola Watkinson added that the two-way trade was currently around AU$ 706 million between Australia and Pakistan while around 7,500 Pakistani students were pursuing higher education at Australian universities.

Agricultural development in Balochistan

Heyward announced US$13 million to fund an agricultural development project in six remote western districts of Balochistan over a span of four years. “The project aims to contribute to poverty reduction through improving food and nutrition security and increasing income generation for the poor,” he said. “This will be achieved by using participatory approaches to community development, improved agricultural productivity and market linkages.”

The project, titled Australian Assistance to the Balochistan Border Areas, was developed by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) in conjunction with the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), and federal and provincial governments of Pakistan, added UNFAO representative Kevin Gallagher.



He said that the Australian commitment was an extension of an old project being run by the United States Agency for International Development that has been operating for the past eight years in the northern districts of the province.

“The AusAID funding that I am announcing today will enable this successful model of agricultural assistance to expand to six new districts in Chagai, Kech, Kharan, Nushki, Panjgur and Washuk.”

As part of the USAID-Balochistan Agricultural Project, a group of 15 men and women farmers from the province visited Australia in January this year for a sheep and wool tour. “The tour focused on training in sheep management, shearing and wool handling with the aim of boosting the farm incomes in Balochistan,” explained Ghulam Farooq, one of the farmers who visited Australia.

An exhibition of photographs from the sheep and wool tour will also be shown at the ‘2013 Australia Day in Spring’ receptions.

Strengthening the ECP

The Australian high commissioner also announced an additional US$4.2 million to support the ECP, under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-developed Electoral Cycle Support project for the election commission.

Heyward said that the pledge was an addition to Australia’s initial contribution of US$3.2 million provided last year, bringing the total contribution to US$ 7.4 million in the past two years. Apart from Australia, other donors for this project include the European Union, Norway, Japan, the United States and the UNDP.

“Pakistan’s upcoming elections are an important milestone for the country as the country, for the first time in its history, has the opportunity to transfer power from one democratically elected government to another,” said Heyward.

The project aims to increase the capacity of the election commission, strengthen electoral laws and procedures, and improve engagement of citizens, particularly women and youth, in electoral processes. Heyward explained that with this project funding, the polling staff are being trained and 65,000 transparent ballot boxes have been given.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 16^th, 2013.