NEW YORK, Aug 20 (APP): Quran Khawani was held at the Pakistani consulate in New York for Dr. Nafis Sadik, the former Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Secretary-General’s Special Advisor for HIV/AIDS, who passed away on Sunday at the age of 92.
Samia Sadik, a medical doctor, recited verses from the Holy Quran and led the prayers for the departed soul after paying tributes to her contribution to women’s health, rights and population policies.
Pakistan’s Consul General in New York, Ayesha Ali, who hosted the well-attended event on Friday, called Dr. Sadik, the first women to head a UN agency, a “torch-bearer for women and an iconic figure.”
“With the demise of Dr. Sadik, we have lost a woman leader who set the highest standard of excellence, but in her remembrance, we also resolve to follow in her visionary footsteps to work with utmost commitment the goals that she championed” she said.
Ayesha Ali said in Pakistan, a developing nation of with a population of 220 million, women have to equal partners with men in all fields of life for the country to reach it true potential.
“This, however, can only be achieved when women in leadership roles, such as Dr. Sadik, are recognized and celebrated for their achievements and appreciated for their pivotal roles in achieving this agenda,” she added.
Qazi Shaukat Fareed, a former Pakistani diplomat and Iftikhar Ali, UN correspondent of Associated of Pakistan, shared their remembrances while honouring Dr. Nafis Sadik.
APP/ift