The new Indonesian Consul-General in Karachi, Hikmat Moelyawan, declared here on Saturday night that Pakistan and Indonesia as two brother Islamic countries are bound together by the closest ties of understanding, and co-operation between the two nations would hopefully increase in the coming days.
He said that it would be his effort to promote this co-operation, specially in the economic and cultural field, to the maximum extent.
He was speaking at a dinner hosted by the President of Pakistan-Indonesia Friendship Society and Mrs Mahmudul Aziz at their DHA residence to bid farewell to the outgoing Consul-General, Temu Alam, and his wife, and to meet the new Indonesian Consul-General.
Temu Alam on this occasion said that he had received the optimum co-operation from Pakistan friends in the government business and industry and whatever success he had achieved in expanding specially economic ties between the two countries was directly the result of this co-operation.
Mahmudul Aziz lauded the good work done by outgoing Consul General Temu Alam and wished success in his career ahead.
Mahmudul Aziz also assured the incoming Consul General Hikmat Moelyawan of full co-operation of the PIFS and its members in forging stronger economic, cultural and trade ties between Indonesia and Pakistan.
He stressed the fact that Pakistan and Indonesia had shared a common struggle against colonialism and Muslim soldiers belonging to present-day Pakistan had taken part in the Indonesian War of Independence shoulder to shoulder with their Indonesian brothers and sisters from 1945 to 1949 when the Dutch recognised through the United Nations Indonesian independence.
The new Consul General, Hikmat Moelyawan, and outgoing Consul General Temu Alam were then presented with mementoes on behalf of the PIFS.
Those who attended the dinner included M A Zuberi, Chief Editor of Business Recorder and Mrs Zuberi, Daily News Editor S N Fazal and his wife, Inquilab Matri, Editor Millat, Consul of Qatar Ahmed Sultan Asseeri, Consul General of Saudi Arabia Dr Hasan A Attar, Consul General of China Sun Chun Ye, Vice Consul of UAE Rahma Fadhil Muhammed Al-Shamisi, S S Iqbal Hussain, Senior Vice President of the PIFS, Anwar Aziz Jakartawala, Secretary General of the PIFS Waseem Vohra, President of Pakistan Poland Investment Forum, Advocate Faisal Kamal and Vice Consuls of Indonesia, Zaenal Arifin, Puruiawan and Gapakson.