Pakistan Association Dubai: Weaving a legacy

Pakistan Association Dubai (PAD) is a volunteer, non-profit, social, welfare and cultural organisation of the expatriate Pakistanis that is registered with the Community Development Authority, Government of Dubai. Starting off from Murshid Bazar in 1963, it is the most reputable institution and voice of over 1.5 million Pakistanis residing in the UAE. It now stands in Oud Metha on land gifted by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai, for which the Pakistani community is grateful.
Community welfare remains one of the foremost objectives of PAD. It constantly serves the community by organising cultural, social, sports and educational programmes along with a number of welfare activities. Pakistan's Founding Father Quaid-i-Azam Mohammed Ali Jinnah had said, "The success of our achievement will depend upon our unity, discipline and faith, not only in ourselves, but in Allah who determines the destinies of people and nations."
Living by these principles, the Association has the honour of being one-of-a-kind and is always on its toes to serve the community in the best possible fashion. Currently, 13 professional wings of PAD are diligently working in their own nature and capacity, which include Pakistan Professionals Wing, Medical Wing, Journalist Forum, PIC-IBA, ICAP Wing, Pakistan Youth Forum, Pak Chinar Wing, Pak Khyber Wing, Marine Wing, IT Wing, Pakistan Safety Professionals.

Amjad Ali Khan
PAD takes pride in giving each individual a platform to affiliate themselves with and voice their concerns within the community after which assistance of all type starts pouring in. Amjad Ali Khan, Senior Consultant of Afridi and Angell Legal Consultants and Chairman of Pakistan Professionals Wing, has a very positive view of the association. He says: "It (PAD) has done phenomenal work in the last few years. In particular, the construction of the Pakistan Auditorium and the proposed construction of the Pakistan Centre are commendable projects that make me a proud Pakistani. The monthly free medical camp for all nationalities makes PAD a leader. Above all, it has brought the Pakistani community together on a single platform with a 'can do' attitude".

Cultural
Pakistan Association Dubai celebrates all the national occasions of Pakistan and the UAE with great enthusiasm every year. Stage dramas and literary events are regularly organised round-the-year wherein well-known poets across Pakistan and UAE participate and enthral the audience.

Sports
PAD Sports Arena is a facility in which seven sports can be played namely cricket, football, hockey, lawn tennis, among many others. Recently, martial arts and taekwondo classes are also given at the venue. Pakistan Association Dubai is the spirit and palpitation of many Pakistanis; a reality to their dreams, a stature of hope and a body of pride. Pakistanis in the UAE, who have come all over from the deserts of Mehran, the skirting hills of Bolan, the agricultural beauties of Punjab, the cascades of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the heavenly spectacle of Kashmir, are all united under one slogan: "We are Pakistanis-We are One."
Pakistan Association Dubai is highly grateful to the Government of UAE that has given the opportunity to keep its national spirits alive through this platform.

Community welfare activities
School fees
Medical
Rents assistance
Utlility bills assistance
Visa and immigration
Air tickets
Prisoner repatriation
Legal advice
Ramadan food packages

Other financial assistance
- Since 2009, 23,000-plus patients have been served by the Medical Wing in 90-plus medical camps
- Approximately 250 patients are catered per camp
- On an average Dh40,000 worth of medical services are provided in each camp
- Approximately Dh480,000 is the worth of medical services provided in 2017
- Blood donation drives twice yearly, health awareness drives in labour camps and various corporate basic life support training for the community
- Approximately 100 welfare cases in all respective zones are catered every month
- Approximately Dh1.4 million worth of welfare services have been provided by PAD in 2017
- Approximately Dh1.3 million worth of welfare services have been provided by PAD in 2016
- One thousand deserving families are given food packages worth Dh300,000 in Ramadan every year. It is a voucher card through which they purchase the required items
- Sixty volunteer hours are dedicated every week for the welfare activity
- The education of 362 students of Pakistani community schools have been supported by the association in 2016 and 2017. It is ensured that come what may their ongoing process of education should not come at a halt.
- In the last two years alone, 109 Pakistani prisoners have been repatriated back home. Amongst them were those who were serving time due to minor offences or were unable to pay for the expenses to fly back home  
- A total of 95 families have been given assistance for housing rents in 2016-17
- Fifty-two individuals have been supported by the association in their hefty utility bills in 2016-17
- Visa and immigration is a tedious process, 128 individuals have been given support in the last two years
- Sixty-two individuals were provided air tickets in the year 2016-17
- Seventy-two extreme cases of medical emergency in 2016-17 were supported by the association
- A total of 964 individuals have been catered with other kinds of financial assistance in 2016-17
- The association supports "Parwarish Home" through a concept of Parwarish family, an orphanage in Swat, Pakistan. Around 281 students are currently receiving quality education and are adopted by parents in Dubai, who provide financial assistance to them.  
- A total of 137 students were supported by Pakistan Professionals Wing in 2016-17 providing financial assistance of over half a million

Sports facility