LAHORE:A condolence reference was organised by the Pakistan Japan Intellect Forum (PJIF) in the memory of the slain former prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, at a local hotel here.
A spokesperson told reporter on Wednesday that a good number of people from various walks of life attended the reference and paid homage to the deceased statesman over his services for his country as well as the world at large.
Shinzo Abe was the longest serving prime minister of Japan, holding the office from 2006 to 2007, and then from 2012 to 2020. His political ideology was based on conservatism and nationalism, which earned him both friends and foes. He was assassinated with a homemade firearm while addressing a political rally on July 8. The shocking incident was the first of its kind in Japan since the end of World War-I (WWI).
The reference was hosted by Nadeem Alam (Honorary Consul General of Japan in Balochistan), Iqbal Burma (President PJIF), Ms Sitara (Vice President PJIF), Chaudhry Homayoun Akhtar Chattha (Director PJIF) and Dr Talha (Executive Member of PJIF). The attendees included people from business, education and various other sectors working with Japan.
In his inaugural address, Association for Overseas Technical Cooperation and Sustainable Partnerships (AOTS) President Nabeel Alam said that Shinzo Abe was a statesman who led his country during hard times.
Polymath arch-researcher Prof Dr Aurangzeb Hafi, chief research methodologist at Asia-Oceania Post-Doctoral Academia (AOPDA), said that on such occasions of sadness, we must not restrict ourselves to only expressing grief, but learn lessons from such incidents. He also announced that the SAARC chapter of UN-KAKHTAH DRR Repository would be named after the late prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Other speakers included Ms Sitara, Amir Sheikh, Shahid Malik. Those attending the reference were: members of Pak-Japan Business Forum (PJBF), AOTS, Umair, president Bonsai Society, and media persons.
Nadeem Alam offered a note of thanks to all attendees. Iqbal Burma, founder and president of PJIF, read out a message of condolence on behalf of the Forum at the end of the meeting, wishing that peace and harmony may prevail in the world despite such disturbing incidents.