- Officials call short time, visa problem a reason for less participation from other Islamic states
Pakistan is going to host a three-day international youth gathering here from Friday (Sept 28 to 30) to establish a communication network among the young people of the Islamic world, to exchange experiences and to solve the problems faced by them in different regions.
Managed by the Turkey-based Youth Board of the Union of NGOs of the Islamic World (YOUNG UNIW), the youth gatherings are held in order to strengthen the consciousness of brotherhood and solidarity among young Muslims, to increase the consciousness of the unity, to form friendships between young ones and to form the consciousness of responsibility about the future of Islamic world.
During the gathering, the young people will try to share their thoughts about political, educational, economic and social problems. In Lahore, this will be the 14th international gathering of the Muslims youth. Al Khidmat Foundation representative Shoaib Ahmed Hashmi said that youth from 15 different countries would join their age fellows here in Pakistan.
“We were more interested to invite young people from over 40 Islamic countries. But due to short time and visas problems, we can invite and manage young Muslims from 15 countries,” he said. “We will try to discuss issues of the young Muslims, to create relationship among them and promote Pakistan’s rich culture and history with them,” he said.
National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi will join different sessions of the gathering. Shoaib Hashmi said that the distinguished guests, trainers and key speakers would also participate in the gathering besides local and foreign students and young leaders. He said different productive segments and some visits and meetings have been designed for the participants.
Senior Turkish officials including Turk ambassador would also appear in different sessions and would share their thoughts. He said that these aspiring young leaders would be exposed to a diversity of thoughts, ideas, and vision, beliefs and cultures which help them to analyse the pertinent issues faced by the youth of the world.
The list of the participating countries includes Afghanistan, Turkey, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and some Middle Eastern and African countries. It is therefore interesting point that all Muslim countries are not part of this gathering, even some Muslims from non-Muslim countries are participating in these gatherings.