By Syed Mussarat Khalil
Saudi Gazette
JEDDAH — Pakistan Repatriation Council (PRC) hosted farewell dinner for Mahmoud Akhter, senior vice president of PRC and an engineer by profession, who is leaving the Kingdom after serving for 36 years in several engineering consultant firms. The event was held at Mehran restaurant recently.
He was also editor-in-chief of the magazine published annually by the Engineers Welfare Forum (EWF).
Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi, renowned Saudi scholar, columnist and ex-diplomat presided over the gathering. He thanked Akhter for his remarkable contributions in the development of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He said when oil was discovered and initial development of infrastructure started in late 60s Pakistani intellectuals, engineers, doctors, bankers, educationists and other professional arrived to lead the development in all fields. Akhter was one of them. He worked with dedication and devotion for this country.
Mahmood Akhter thanked PRC and said that he and his family not only earned an excellent living but also had the opportunity of frequently visiting the Grand Mosque in Makkah and Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah. We performed several Haj and Umrah thus earning the reward in Hereafter.
“While working with leading consultants and I worked on major defense and other strategic projects, and I found Saudi engineers are very professionals and cooperative,” he added.
He also praised Dr. Ali Al-Ghamdi’s commitment to Pakistan and highlighting issues of stranded Pakistanis in Bangladesh and dispute of Kashmir. His articles on Quaid-e-Azam, Dr. Mohammed Iqbal, Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan and role of Biharis in the creation of Pakistan was very much praised by communities.
Convener Syed Ehsan-ul-Haque praised the contribution of Mahmood Akhter for the cause of stranded Pakistanis during his association with PRC and with EPSAC during 70s student era.
He said, “Akhter always came forward actively and boldly in support of the cause. Though we would miss him in our mission but we have the confidence that he would continue in projecting the issue when reaches his new home in US.”
Other speakers and guests included Hamid Islam Khan deputy convener, Maqbool-ur-Rahman Abbasi, Anwar Quraishi, Shamsuddin Altaf, Syed Naseer uddin, Mohammad Amanatullah, Zamurrad Saifi and Akram Agha.
