By Muslim Mirror News,
The Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC), established in Karachi by Syed Ehtisham Arshad in 1990 and being managed in Saudi Arabia by its convener Engr. Ehsan ul Haq, organized a special symposium on Saturday 17th May 2014 in Jeddah.
Titled “Role of Welfare Organizations to support Stranded Pakistanis”, the symposium was arranged in honour of Engr. Anwar Khan, Founder / President, OBAT Helpers, USA.
Anwar Khan, on Umrah visit, was the keynote speaker and Guest of Honour. Mr. Abu Farhan Siddiqi, General Secretary, Muslim Welfare Development Organization (MWDO) was the Chief Guest.
Musarrat Khalil, Master of Ceremony, welcomed the guests. Qari Abdul Majeed, recited Holy Quran and Zamarrud Saifi rendered a Naat. Abdul Qayyum Wasiq presented an inspiring poem.
Setting the tone, PRC’s Hamid Islam and guest speakers Shamsuddin Altaf, Columnist Amanatullah, and Tayyab Moosani, General Secretary, Memon Welfare Society, spelled out the “plight of 1.2 million Stranded Pakistanis living in deplorable conditions at various relief camps in Bangladesh”. The speakers reflected the collective voice that the issue of Stranded Pakistanis must receive due attention at all public and private platforms.
Highlighting the cause, PRC’s convenor Ehsan ul Haq appreciated the growing interest being taken by the Government of Pakistan.
He expressed satisfaction that the “Supreme Court of Pakistan has recently sought an amicable solution to this crucial National and Humanitarian issue outstanding since 1971”.
History has on records that the Urdu-speaking communities, soon after partition in August 1947, arrived in several waves and settled across the then East Pakistan. Representing the well-educated middle class, they played an instrumental role towards the socio-economic development of East Pakistan from 1947 till 1971.
In 1971, the Bangladesh Liberation War broke out between Bengali guerrillas and the Pakistani Government. The Urdu-speaking community naturally favoured Pakistan, viewing the Bengali struggle as an illegitimate rebellion. During the nine-month-long Bangladesh Liberation War they acted as local supporters of Pakistan Army and made volunteer groups like Al-Badr and Al-Shams. With covert and later overt support from India, East Pakistan finally fell and became the independent state of Bangladesh.
Not sharing the ethno-linguistic heritage of the Bengali people, who formed an overwhelming majority, over half a million Urdu-speaking community became stranded after the independence of Bangladesh and were relocated to refugee camps, where their third generation descendents have since been born.
With a population of 920,000 in 2006, they have repeatedly appealed the Pakistani Government for the right to settle in Pakistan. Their petitions, though ratified by the OIC countries, have only met with marginal support from the Pakistani authorities.
Currently 12,000 NGOs are working across Bangladesh. Only handful are actually serving the 1.2 million Stranded Pakistanis living below poverty level at various relief camps.
PRC’s Jeddah chapter has been actively promoting this noble cause in and out of Pakistan since 1990. It is worthwhile to mention that welfare organizations like OBAT Helpers and MWDO have been physically managing relief works on-site at the relief camps in Bangladesh since ten years.
MWDO’s local General Secretary, Abu Farhan Siddiqi advised the guests they have to date provided financial assistance to 1,200 families. MWDO has arranged scholarships for over 200 students, financed marriages of poor couples, and have constructed shelter homes for destitute families.
Introducing Engr. Anwar Khan and his organization, Rohail Khan, Chairman, Society for International Peace (S.I.P), advised the symposium guests that OBAT Helpers is in its “tenth consecutive year of providing front-line relief to the Stranded Pakistanis”.
Rohail Khan outlined: Stranded Pakistanis are “Prisoners of Conscience”. We mustn’t forget our duty to support their third generation crying out for our help.
Rohail spoke with pride that “OBAT Helpers, based on impeccable track record, has recently been identified by USAID as a potential partner in Bangladesh”.
Anwar Khan, well versed in English, Urdu, Bangla languages, earned B.E degree (mechanical engineering) in 1981 from Karachi’s coveted N.E.D University of Engineering & Technology. After serving many organizations, he migrated to USA in the summer of 1995.
Equipped with an M.B.A from Indian Wesleyan University, Anwar Khan is a seasoned ISO 9000 Lead Auditor with General Motors, (Fortune-100 American company). Over the years, social work has become his life-long mission.
In 2004, Anwar Khan formally established OBAT Helpers Inc, as a US-based tax exempted 501(c) 3 organization providing social services to displaced and stranded communities.
Anwar Khan, in his address, described in an emotional manner, how during a private visit to Dhaka camps in 2004, he was approached by an elderly Urdu-speaking Bihari woman who asked him “Is it our fault we are patriotic Pakistanis? Is it a sin we love Pakistan more than our lives?.”.
Deeply moved by the severe inhuman conditions that he personally witnessed, Anwar Khan, started social works on his own with mere $ 1,700. Over a period of ten years, now OBAT’s annual budget exceeds $ 400,000.
During last ten years, OBAT Helpers has successfully developed, monitored and completed several Projects in Education, Self-Empowerment, Health and Community Development.
OBAT Helpers is currently managing more than 43 educational programs (7 Elementary and Middle schools, 3 Computer Centers, 4 Tuition Centers, 20 Pre-Schools, 10 Educational Centers for working children and women. Anwar Khan informed that two clinics, set up by OBAT Helpers, are serving thousands of people round the clock.
Following the Grameen Bank (Nobel Peace Prize-winning Microfinance Bank founded in Bangladesh by famous Dr. Muhammad Yunus), OBAT Helpers has initiated small loans to impoverished families. Over 2,000 women have received self-empowerment assistance through OBAT Micro Finance Projects.
To commemorate OBAT’s tenth anniversary, Anwar Khan, was decorated with Ajrak and Memento by Rohail Khan on behalf of Society for International Peace.
In his tribute, Rohail declared Anwar Khan a “role model” actively engaged in capacity building” of the Stranded Pakistanis.
It was announced that the Society for International Peace (S.I.P) shall work closely with OBAT Helpers for relief works in Bangladesh.