Pakistan Association of Australia (PAA)
PAA evolved in 1968 at a meeting of few Australian Pakistanis settled in Australia. Dr Akram Hassan
Commander Kunni, who at the time was the manager of PIA Mr. Salah-Ud-Din, a teacher and brothers Iftikhar and Imtiaz Majeed were the prominent community members at that time participated.
The main focus at that time was to arrange social and welfare body by having regular meetings and forming an association for the Australian Pakistanis. As a result of those meetings the Australia Pakistan Friendship Association was founded, with the first President being Mr. Farhat Yousaf.
There were around 15 members in those early days but from the start the annual dinner functions, the Independence Day (being the 14th August ) and Pakistan Resolution Day( being the 23rd of March ), were held to bring Australian Pakistani community together.
PAA goals have bee to step ahead and serve the community. To be able to meet the community needs, whatever they be and however great or small and building bridges among other community to live peacefully together in Australia. Since then many inter communal functions and charitable work has been done.
Over the years Presidents came and went, members grew, the community grew but it wasn’t until 1988 that the Association was finally registered. So, it was now official, the then ‘Pakistan Australia Friendship Association’, became the Pakistan Association of Australia, as it remains today.
The founding President of this new Association and indeed the person who registered it is Mr. Bashir Malik. The longest serving presidency to date is that of Dr Rao Khan.
There was much done for the community back then too. There use to be annual harbor cruises in November and sports days were held regularly. There was also community Awards day. The first award we’d like to mention went to the Late Mr. Afif Pasha, for his unwavering support in the making of the Surrey Hills Mosque.
There have been many achievements; one of the earliest of the time was being able to get visas’ from Sydney. Meeting up with Parliamentarians being another, where matters of immigration were acknowledged and addressed. There’s been many a time when people have needed to come here from back home, to be with their family in Australia, PAA has always been there for all possible help.
It was at times like these, that the PAA would step in to help and become a voice that could be heard at the higher levels and policies were amended to facilitate family visitor visas.
More recent achievements have been that of when there was the earthquake in Pakistan, the PAA joined forces with World Vision and managed to raise $500,000,000 before that $6000 was collected through a concert and donated to the Counsel general Indonesia.
Since 2006, there are a number of schools that are being supported in Lahore, Faisalabad to enhance their standard. Even more recently, this will be the third year that we InshAllah, will be holding our Eid celebrations at Parliament House.
These are but a few goals that the PAA has achieved; there are many we are striving to ‘mix in’ with the main stream but keeping our Culture and Traditions that are dear to, us ‘intact.’
That as an Association there’s much more we can achieve, if there is ‘Unity among us’.
Be part of YOUR Association and make us all together ‘STRONG’!
