Over the last few years businessmen from Pakistan have regularly participated in trade fairs/exhibitions organized in Nepal. In 2013, Pakistani businessmen participated at the Nepal International Consumer Expo, held from 21-25 February 2013. Pakistan’s furniture, leather garments, handicraft items and textile were displayed at the Expo. Pakistan also participated at the 11th Handicraft Trade Fair, held in Kathmandu from November 27 to December 01, 2013. More than ten exhibitors set their stalls at the fair and exhibited Pakistani products ranging from handicrafts to furniture and textile items.

The first-ever single country trade exhibition of Pakistani products was held in Kathmandu in May 2010. The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with the Mission, set up more than 15 stalls at United World Trade Centre, exhibiting a wide range of Pakistani products. Response of Nepalese visitors at the first-ever exhibition by Pakistani businessmen was very encouraging. In July 2011, the Embassy was instrumental in organizing the second single country exhibition, “Made in Pakistan” in Kathmandu which proved to be a great success. Mission’s efforts to promote Pakistani products in Nepal and continued interest of the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce have both made the “Made in Pakistan Exhibition” become a yearly feature in Nepal.

The 5th Exhibition was held at the World Trade Centre in Kathmandu from 23-29 September 2014. The exhibitors from Pakistan arranged 40 stalls at the Center that displayed Pakistani products ranging from furniture to textile and garments to handicrafts. On Mission’s request Minister for Commerce and Supplies Mr. Sunil Bahadur Thapa consented to inaugurate the fourth “Made in Pakistan Exhibition” on September 23, 2014. According to estimates around seventy thousand (70,000) Nepalese visited the week-long exhibition. Businessmen from Pakistan also participated at the “National Industrial Trade Fair-2013” at Pokhara Exhibition Center, Pokhara from January 24 – February 03, 2014. Pakistani exhibitors displayed onyx and wooden handicrafts and leather goods and jackets. The Embassy again facilitated the businessmen in participating at the Pokhara Exhibition. Due to this Mission’s consistent efforts, a four member business delegation from Nepal was invited to participate in EXPO Pakistan, which was organized in Karachi from September 24-26, 2013. However, instead of four, we managed to send a two-member business delegation for participation in EXPO Pakistan. Both the Nepali businessmen, who are in the pharmaceutical business, established useful contacts with their counterparts in Pakistan. The TDAP consented to grant guest status to the two Nepali businessmen.

Nepal has meanwhile, not participated in any of various trade exhibitions organized in Pakistan from time to time. Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) had expressed an interest in participating at the 3rd Nepal International Trade Fair, scheduled from March 6-10, 2014. Although this Mission had rendered all possible support to FPCCI in order to facilitate its participation, however, at the last moment FPCCI expressed its inability to participate in the fair. Meanwhile, some exhibitors from the Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce displayed Pakistani products at the exhibition.

There are a number of areas in which economic cooperation between Pakistan and Nepal can make progress. These include: agriculture, education, infrastructure, IT, construction, cement, leather garments/goods, rice, sugar, spices, ladies/children clothing, surgical goods and dried fruits etc. However, a concerted effort needs to be made on both sides to bring about desired economic cooperation between the two countries. The “6th Made in Pakistan Exhibition” is being organized in Kathmandu from October 06-12, 2015. Preparations are in hand for making necessary arrangement for the exhibition. 20 exhibitors from Pakistan also participated in the International Trade Fair in Kathmandu held in March 2016.

TOURISM AND CULTURE

  • Culture of Pakistan
  • Tourist attractions in Pakistan
  • Videos/ documentaries

EDUCATION

PTAP

The Government of Pakistan has been offering a number of scholarships to Nepalese nationals to study in Pakistan, within the framework of its Pakistan Technical Assistant Program (PTAP) that supports the study of foreign nationals from developing countries, at different public institutions in the country. The yearly scholarships are made available to the Government of Nepal for pursuing graduate degree programs in different subjects.

  • In 2012 the number of vacancies/scholarships offered by the Government of Pakistan to Nepal, under PTAP, was increased from 15 to 25. These scholarships are in Medicine (10), BSC Engineering (6), D-Pharmacy (8) and Dentistry (1).
  • Not relying upon the grant of scholarships, some Nepalese students however, go to Pakistan for studies on self-finance basis. Almost all students, falling in this category, pursue medical studies in different medical colleges in the country. Additionally, each year, quite a number of Nepalese doctors go to Pakistan for post-graduate studies, on self-finance basis.
  • The COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) in Islamabad recently took the initiative of expressing an interest in establishing academic collaboration with universities and organizations of higher learning in Nepal. The Institute also decided to provide higher education services to Nepalese students. The CIIT, therefore, allocated 10 Masters Program Scholarships for the Nepalese students nominated by the Government of Nepal. However, the Nepalese side failed to respond to the offer. On Mission’s suggestion COMSATS has agreed to establish links with its counterpart in Nepal.
  • At the initiative of Pakistan, institutions of higher education in the two countries have established contacts by agreeing to cooperate on promoting mutually beneficial education and research activities. The institutions of higher learning in the two countries have also agreed to exchange faculty and research personnel, undergraduate and graduate students and publications and academic material. The University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, has signed general agreement on collaboration with the Tirbhuvan University of Nepal, which has also entered into similar engagements with the Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan and Center for South Asian Studies, University of Punjab, Lahore. The COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Islamabad, has signed an agreement on cooperation in various academic fields, with the Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.

Trainings

In its efforts to promote contacts and provide capacity building and technical assistance to Nepalese officials working in different fields, the Government of Pakistan has been offering vacancies to Nepal for the various training programs conducted in the country from time to time.

  • Pakistan has been offering vacancies for training at the Foreign Service Academy in Islamabad to young Nepalese diplomats. The Foreign Service Academy (FSA), Islamabad offered one seat for “21st Junior Diplomatic Course for Junior Diplomats” (18 March to 26 April 2013). A young Nepalese diplomat Surendra Kumar Yadav attended the said course. Similarly, Mr. Tejendra Regmi and Ragha Raj Pandey attended the Diplomatic Course for Junior Diplomats in 2014 and 2015 respectively. So far, eight young Nepali diplomats have received training at FSA.
  • Pakistan had offered a vacancy, for the 99th National Management Course (NMC), held at National Management College, Lahore from 15 August 2013 to 15 January 2014, for the foreign participant of the rank of Joint Secretary/Director General. However, Nepal did not nominate any officer for the said course.
  • Over the years 37 Nepalese trainees received training at the Postal Staff College, Islamabad. In September 2013, Pakistan Post Office offered two fellowships for postal officers of the Postal Administration of Nepal in a course on “Strategy Formulation and Execution” which commenced in Islamabad in March 2014. Nepal nominated Ms. Nirmala Thapa and Ms. Ambika Rai, Section Officers of the Ministry of Information and Communication Affairs, Postal Services Department for the said course.
  • At regular intervals, the National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF), Islamabad has been inviting participants from Nepal for various international training programmes, jointly organized by the State Bank of Pakistan and the Economic Affairs Division, under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Program (PTAP). Nepal has usually availed the vacancies offered under this programme.
  • For the year 2014, NIBAF offered two courses – 44th International Central Banking Course (27 January to 21 February 2014); and 43rd International Commercial Banking Course (3-28 March 2014) – under PTAP for the friendly developing countries. Pakistan sought nominations from Nepal for the above courses. However, Nepal did not respond to the courses offered by the National Institute of Banking and Finance (NIBAF), Islamabad.
  • Under the Colombo Plan, Pakistan had agreed, in the mid-1960s, to provide training to Nepali pilots of the country’s national carrier, Nepal Airlines. Around 12 Nepalese pilots were invited to Pakistan for the commercial pilot courses. Similarly, Nepal Airlines also sent its staff for training in different fields at the PIA training centers in Pakistan. At the 6th Session of JEC, held in Islamabad in August 2013, Nepal had once again broached the subject of training of Nepalese pilots and aeronautical pilots in Pakistan. On our part, we had offered to accommodate Nepalese request for short duration courses.

Special Assistance Program for South Asia (SAPSA)

In 2003, Pakistan decided to initiate a program – Special Assistance Programme for South Asia (SAP-SA) – with the aim of providing assistance to all South Asian countries, except India. The program aimed to provide a mechanism for sharing technical competency and skills that Pakistan had developed over the years and also to extend support to the South Asian countries by providing assistance in their human resourse development. Over the years, SAP-SA has gone a long way in creating goodwill, amongst common people in Nepal and disseminated a positive image of Pakistan in the country. Ever since the initiation of  the Special Assistance Program for South Asia (SAPSA), our Embassy in Kathmandu carries out a number of activities, on a yearly basis, which aim at creating goodwill and building long-term relationships between the Embassy and important individuals and organizations of the host country. Most of the activities under SAPSA are in education, health, culture and sports and I.T sectors.

Over the years, activities under the Special Assistance Program for South Asia include:

  • Disbursal of scholarships among deserving Secondary and Higher Secondary students in the country.
  • Donation of I.T equipment to schools & colleges.
  • Scholarships for studies in Pakistan in Mass Communication.
  • Scholarships for studies in Pakistan in International Affairs.
  • Sponsoring of visits of young Nepalese university-going students to Pakistan with the aim of promoting interaction and awareness of educational facilities in Pakistan.
  • Arranging an Essay Writing Competition among young School-going Nepalese students.
  • Donation of medical equipment to hospitals.
  • Donation of ambulances to prominent hospitals.
  • Arranging yearly golf and cricket tournaments in the capital.
  • Gifting of sports gears to Cricket Association of Nepal.
  • Sponsoring of visit of Nepalese media delegation to Pakistan.
  • Assistance to orphanages.
  • Arranging concerts of popular Pakistani singers in Kathmandu.
  • Donation of books to libraries.
  • Arranging seminars.
  • Assistance for the uplift of infrastructure of schools/hospitals.
  • Assistance for small irrigation schemes.
  • Translation of Urdu books into Nepali.

Resident Ambassadors of Pakistan to Nepal

  1. Mufti Muhammad Abbas – April 1966-August 1967
  2. Abdul Rauf Khan – April 1968-December 1970
  3. Ataullah April  – 1971-September 1973
  4. Inayatullah  – November 1973-March 1976
  5. Ret. Amir Gulistan Janjua  –  May 1976-August 1981
  6. Abul Fazal  – September 1982-July 1986
  7. Brig Ret. Ziaul Haq – July 1986-September 1991
  8. Muhammad Naseer Mian  –  October 1991-January 1996
  9. Kamran Niaz   – February 1996- June 1999
  10. Fauzia Nasreen – June 1999-August 2002
  11. Zameer Akram – August 2002-March 2005
  12. Sohail Amin – March 2005-May 2008
  13. Syed Abrar Hussain = May 2008-June 2011
  14. Mr. Arshad Saud Khosa   – July 2012-December 2015