By: Faiz Al-Najdi
Pakistan Writers Club-Riyadh aka: PWC elected a new President for the next two-year term, which is for the period of 2011 thru 2013. This is in keeping with the democratic traditions set in the Club by its past Presidents – who have set a tradition that PWC elects its new President, after every two years.
The incumbent President Syed Bashir Ahmed dissolved his cabinet upon successful completion of his two-year tenure and called for a new election to elect its new President. The Incumbent General Secretary – Choudhry Rehmat Ali aka: Badal – announced the election schedule and also appointed the Election Commissioner in Prof. Nadir Alam (of PISR-N) and PWC Patron-in-Chief Faiz Al-Najdi was nominated as the Election Coordinator.
The election fever was thus set in motion. Originally there were two contestants namely PWC senior member H.M. Fayyaz and Choudhry Rehmat Ali. H.M. Fayyaz informed the Election Coordinator about his intention to withdraw his nomination before the withdrawal deadline. This paved way for un-opposed election of Choudhry Rehmat Ali. Faiz Al-Najdi – the Election Coordinator – therefore exercised his powers vested in him as per the PWC election bye-laws and declared Choudhry Rehmat Ali as its new President-Elect – unopposed – for the next two-year tenure, which is for a period of 2011 thru 2013.
PWC is an association of the Pakistani expatriate writers, journalists, and poets. It was founded in 1989 and is also registered as such with the Embassy of Pakistan. It is a very popular community organization very well-known for hosting various literary activities and functions throughout the year. It is also known for bringing the community together and for rendering social and philanthropic services to the poor and the needy, amongst the community members.
Gul Mohammad Bhutta – a noted journalist and bureau chief of Nawa-i-Waqt in Riyadh – was its founding President. The other Presidents that followed after him to-date include: Abid Lohar, Syed Rasheed-Ul-Hassan, Tariq Nadim Shaikh (deceased), Faiz Al-Najdi, and Syed Bashir Ahmed. All of them above are noted writers and journalists of repute who served the Club very well and contributed in their own way to take the Club to new heights. Choudhry Rehmat Ali aka: Badal is a writer and a poet of Urdu and Punjabi languages. As a General Secretary, under the Presidency of Syed Bashir Ahmed, he was very dynamic and pivotal in the success of Syed Bashir’s presidency. He is expected to bring more glory to the Club.
PWC is unique social and literary organization in the sense that it has a history of services to the community which no other organization can lay claim to. For example, it rallied around and brought the Pakistani community together during the October-2005 earthquake in the northern areas of Pakistan. Together with the supports from the other community organizations like Pakistan Awami Forum, it mobilized the Pakistani community then and with the permission of the embassy of Pakistan set up a huge relief camp in Riyadh. The success of this initiative by PWC can be gauged from the fact that hundreds of Riyadh residents from all nationalities contributed relief goods in this PWC Relief Camp. And, with the cooperation from the Saudi Red Crescent Society, PWC has the honor of dispatching back home in Pakistan the relief goods worth over 3 million Saudi Riyals through three chartered Saudi military air planes – all free of cost via the courtesy of the Saudi Red Crescent Society. This gesture and initiative by PWC was much appreciated by the then ambassador of Pakistan to Saudi Arabia – Admiral (Retired) Abdul Aziz Mirza – and each of PWC members was awarded a Certificate of Merit in recognition of their services for the same also.
The annual functions of PWC namely Pakistan Day (23rd March), the Mushaira on the occasion of 14th August Independence Day of Pakistan, its annual Husn-e-Qirat Competition in the holy month of Ramadan and its regular literary sittings are very popular amongst the Pakistani community. Its most popular program Ek Shakhsiat-Ek Shaam (an Evening with a Personality) has no parallel. This program is exclusively designed to honor and glorify those Pakistanis who, by dint of their achievements, have been able to bring about good name for Pakistan and the Pakistanis. This program has been much appreciated and several episodes have already been conducted which will culminate with a book on the subject issue and thus will serve as a record for all times to come.
PWC Yahoo Group – PakistanWritersClub-Riyadh@yahoogroups.com – is yet another viable medium to bring the Pakistani community together. PWC takes pride in the fact that through this medium, the Pakistanis have been able to come together on a single platform and share the news, views and problems and issues that crop up from time to time. The words are spread to the concerned quarters, via this medium, and the needed help and assistance are thus able to be mobilized. For example, if any problem or issue needed the attention of the Community Welfare Attaché at the Embassy of Pakistan in Riyadh, then this PWC Yahoo Group comes to this Service. On these occasions the embassy officials respond very positively and extend the needed help immediately. In other instance, if some community member has some financial difficulty then PWC Yahoo Group spreads the words to the community and on most occasions such help is seen to be forthcoming from any or all. In short, the PWC Yahoo Group is able to do something which nobody else could do before. PWC takes pride in this achievement and also thanks all the members of the community especially the embassy officials for responding positively to the SOS calls spread through the PWC Yahoo Group and thus making it a successful medium.
In short, all the members of PWC have worked hard to bring this Club to this height which has earned respect for them before the Pakistani community. It is hoped its new President-Elect – Choudhry Rehmat Ali aka: Badal – would strive hard to not only continue to engine the progressive motion but would also achieve some new notable heights and milestones during his next two-year tenure. Choudhry Rehmat Ali has appointed his new cabinet and would lay them out before the community on the occasion of the Oath Taking Ceremony that is expected to be hosted on Thursday 19 May-2011.
Faiz Al-Najdi is Writer and a Columnist based in Riyadh; Received via email: faizalnajdi@gmail.com
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plz give me ur connect num i want to know about qirat compition
Pakistan Writers Club Riyadh is an effective forum to share views and communicate feelings of Pakistani to the world.
By the way what your club is doing to encounter USA threat for all the Muslim countriues and partcularly Pakistan which is an atomic power, the proud for all os us.
The recent attack of USA forces on Pakistani border killing many innocent army persons is clear indication of his intention for future which may include Saudfi arabia if supply of oil is stopped.