Norwegian Day observed in capital

Ambassador Tore Nedrebø and his wife Anne Dessingthon held an event in their F-6 residence to celebrate Norwegian Constitution Day.

Musicians from the Leif Larsen Music Centre Hunza held a short concert and played at intervals during the evening. They also played when the embassy staff sang the national anthems of Norway and Pakistan.

The music centre is named in memory of Ambassador Leif Larsen who was among the several foreign and local victims in a helicopter accident in Gilgit in May three years ago.

Students from Grammar School Rawalpindi had made a beautiful collage painting which was donated to the music centre by the ambassador and Nasreen Iqbal, the school’s director.

In his speech, Ambassador Nebrebø praised the cordial relations between Norway and Pakistan, with increased trade and deepening of people-to-people contact due to the large Pakistani diaspora in Norway.

Mr. Nedrebø said he had enjoyed his three-year posting to Pakistan, which is coming to an end later this year.

Film screening at German embassy

The German embassy held a screening of the film, Der Richter und sein Henker, (The Judge and his Hangman) at the embassy auditorium.

Dr. Kalle Hollzfuss the first secretary at the embassy, welcomed the guests, saying: “While researching the film, I realized there was nothing German about it, except that it was made in the German language. It was written by a Swiss author and directed by a Swiss director but I hope you enjoy it”.

Hans Baerlach, played by Martin Ritt, is a Swiss police detective who has dedicated much of his career to pursuing powerful and allegedly murderous businessman Richard Gastmann, played by Robert Shaw.

Baerlach’s subordinate, the role played by Donald Sutherland, meets his demise while investigating Gastmann, his replacement, Walter Tschanz continues the investigation. Meanwhile, the lovely Anna Crawley played by Jacqueline Bisset, is seen to have relationships with the criminals and the policemen alike.

Made in the seventies the movie has some wonderfully quirky vignettes, especially a splendidly strange funeral in the middle of a rainstorm.

Muhammad Ramzan, who attended with his wife, said: “We lived in Germany for a few years while I was studying and then working, and since coming back we haven’t been able to watch a film in such a quiet, peaceful hall”.

Pakistan-Russia ties celebrated

The Russian embassy held a large reception in Marriott Hotel last week to celebrate the Day of Russia and 70 years of diplomatic relations between Russia and Pakistan.

The chief guest of the occasion was Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan.

In their speeches, the ambassador and the chief guest underlined the good cooperation between the two countries, although the ambassador also mentioned that there had been many ups and downs over the years.

He said that today, trade is growing and relations are growing closer.

On the occasion, Russia’s honorary consul in Lahore, Habib Ahmed, was decorated with the high award of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Published in Dawn, May 14th, 2018