The continued achievements of the British Pakistani community were honoured once again at Damac presents, in association with Rangreza, 9th Pakistan Achievement Awards International on Sunday 10th December at Millennium Gloucester Hotel, Kensington.
The event was hosted by actors Ayesha Sana and Ahmad Ali Butt, with celebrity guests in attendance including Aijaz Aslam; Faysal Qureshi, the lead stars of forthcoming Pakistani film Rangreza, Bilal Ashraf, Urwa Hocane and Gohar Rasheed; and music artist Asrar Shah.
Launched in 2009 by UK Times London, Pakistan Achievement Awards identifies and recognises the immense contribution that Britons of Pakistani heritage are making to mainstream British life. The ceremony has continued to gain momentum and recognition over the years with the continuous support and appreciation of the Pakistani diaspora globally. Awards presented on the night included Young Entrepreneur of the Year to Mauheed Jahngir; Brand of the Year to KASPA’s Desserts; Role Model of the Year in Business to Mehmood Shaikhani; Designer of the Year to Komal Nasir; Excellence Services in Music to Faakhir Mehmood; and Women Empowerment to Dr. Surrayia.
It was over half a century ago when thousands of Pakistani men arrived in Britain as part of the Empire Windrush facilitated by the British Nationality Act 1948. Largely unschooled and unskilled, they became the bedrock of the labour force that built Britain’s war-ravaged economy. From menial jobs at airports and driving buses in northern towns to filling near-abandoned foundries up and down the country and manning textile factories, these men toiled in double shifts to make a living. Within a few years they were joined by their wives, equally ill-equipped but doubly industrious, who not only raised their newborns but saved up enough from the pittance their husbands earned to buy mortgages and earn respectability and a better living standard for their families.
50 years on, the struggles upon arrival have successfully been transformed into unrivalled boom. The sons and daughters of illiterate parents have graduated from Oxbridge and other elite, educational institutions. From politics and finance to the arts and sport, British life is radiant with faces of Pakistani origin. Pakistan Achievement Awards continues to honour the tremendous contribution Pakistanis are making to the socio-cultural fabric of Britain.
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