Toronto’s Sindhi leaders meet Canadian Minister

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Sindhi Community of Toronto held a meeting with Jason Kenney, Federal Minister for Employment, Social Development and Multicultural, together with Tim Hudak, opposition leader of Ontario Legislative Assembly to discuss various issues including visas to spouses, delays in immigration, educational, health, and culture.

The delegation conveyed its grave concerns in relation to the worsening law and order situation in the region and requested the Canadian government to play its due role.

Senior community members, Khair Mohammad Kolachi and Shah Nawaz Shah thanked Canada’s ruling PC Party leader Jason Kenney for his support and further explained the dynamics of the Sindhi community in conjunction with its cultural integration to Canadian society and vibrant role to multiple the plurality of Canada.

The Secretary of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat, a society promoting Sindhi literature in Canada, Zulfiqar Shaikh, highlighted the efforts of the society with respect to literature and culture. He also expressed concern over visa issues that the Sindhi singers and artists are facing, whose presence to the events in Canadian society will promote cultural integration. Spousal and parental visa issues were also brought to light and that family reunion times should be shorter.

The Sindhi Association of North America’s Vice-President, Aijaz Ahmed Kolachi, praised the efforts of Kenney and apprised him of the continued philanthropic and social development activities including education, poverty and disaster relief in Pakistan.

Kolachi stressed the need for CIDA’s mutual co-operation with SANA and Literary Society so as to ensure the proper and transparent allocation of funds to the grassroots level.  He also brought to his attention the role of Central President SANA, Jamil Daaudi, General Secretary, Noornisa Ghanghro, and community donor Aijaz Turk for establishing a school system in Sindh for needy and poor people.

The Executive Council member of SANA Toronto Chapter, Khalida Memon, Rashid Pirzada, Rajesh Rathi and Vishan Lohana, expressed their concerns over intolerance and health issues and deteriorating standards of education in Sindh and other parts of Pakistan.

They also pledged their co-operation with the government of Canada and further added that, such meetings will surely bring a positive result. The both sides agreed upon to explore ways to work together in the sector of education being a best way to enlighten people, address issues of poverty and extremism. 

Federal Minister Jason Kenney praised Aijaz Kolachi for hosting and arranging such a high profiled meeting with the Sindhi community, Literary Society and SANA. He recognized the core issues in Pakistan, especially those of Sindh and ensured his support in future.

In the end, Tim Hudak, Opposition Leader of Ontario, promised to solve the local issues and requested to join hands with him to help formulate and implement his manifesto. The Sindhi Diaspora presented Canadian leaders the gift of Ajraks a symbolic cultural identity of Indus Valley civilization since 5000 years.