An estimated 10,000 people attended the first ever Pakistan Festival, held at Holland Park in Surrey - a cosmopolitan city located in British Columbia, the western most province of Canada. The event, which was organised to coincide with the Independence Day of Pakistan, featured arts and crafts, cuisine and music of Pakistan. Pakistan Festival has been a dream of the 15,000 strong Pakistani community living in British Columbia for years.
But it became a reality when a group of individuals from the Pakistani community, under the patronage of the Pakistan Consulate General in Vancouver, were brought together to undertake this mammoth task a few months ago. Representing Pakistan-Canada Association, Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association, Pakistan Youth Council and the Pakistani community at large, these individuals set out to achieve a new milestone, to unite on one platform to strengthen their community and to share their unique culture and heritage with their fellow Canadians. This one-day festival ran from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. Four large pavilions representing the four provinces of Pakistan had stalls selling Pakistani products and artifacts.