The formal launching ceremony of the PAK-AUS Engineers Association was held on 20 May 2017. The ceremony was attended by many prominent guests, including the Chief Guest HE Naela Chohan, High Commissioner of Pakistan, and Special Guest Hon. Ms Julia Finn, MP for Granville, both of whom addressed the gathering.
The keynote speaker was Mr. Abdul Majid Yousafani, Consul General of Pakistan.
The gathering also included a speakers’ forum, with addresses by members of the Australian industry on the following topics:
- Use of salt mines and the mining of salt around the world, and potential Australian engineering industry investment in Pakistan — Mr. Duncan Van der Merwe
- Engineering in a clean energy economy — Mr. John Ginnasca
- Expectations of the construction industry from new engineers — Mr. Chris Abuhammad
- The journey of engineering in Pakistan — Dr. Khalid Karim
The ceremony commenced with the national anthems of Australia and Pakistan, with an opening address by the President of the Association, Mr. Insaf Khan, and concluded with closing remarks by the Secretary of the Association, Mr. Wasiullah Khan. Dr. Shabbir Ahmed led the prayers (dua) for the success of the Association.