OTTAWA, SEP 21: /DNA/ – Pakistan’s High Commissioner to Canada Ambassador Zaheer Aslam Janjua has said Pakistan has an expanding aviation sector and the announcement of two new airlines in the country last year reflects the strength of the sector as well as the role of air travel in boosting tourism potential of the country.
He made this statement while presenting his credentials as Pakistan’s Representative to the Secretary General International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Mr. Juan Carlos Salazar, in Montreal city of Canada.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Janjua expressed the hope for an increased ICAO support to Pakistan with a view to further strengthening its civil aviation sector at the national level and enhancing its presence at the international level.
He congratulated the Secretary General on ICAO’s 75th anniversary by remarking that ICAO’s 75th anniversary had coincided with the 75th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence Day as well the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Pakistan-Canada diplomatic relations.
Mr. Janjua noted that being cognizant of its significance, ICAO was among the first international organizations the nascent state of Pakistan joined soon after achieving its freedom. He said Pakistan remained a member of the ICAO Council for 24 years and contributed effectively to various other committees of the Organization. He said Pakistan was undertaking further measures to deepen its relationship with the ICAO.
ICAO’s Secretary General Juan Carlos Salazar appreciated Pakistan’s role as an active member of the ICAO community. He said Pakistan had a longstanding cooperation with the Organization thereby furthering its objective of promoting international civil aviation. He fondly recalled his several visits to Pakistan while he was based in the UAE. He looked forward to the country’s continued engagement with the ICAO and wished the Ambassador success in his assignment.
Founded in 1944 and headquartered at Montreal, ICAO is now a specialized agency of the United Nations. The Organization’s works as the sole standard-setting body of the international civil aviation with the aim of promoting a safe, secure, efficient, economical and environmentally sustainable civil aviation around the globe.
