Three UK events featuring Saqib Nisar cancelled over ‘lack of public interest’

LONDON: Three events planned with former chief justice Saqib Nisar and a federal minister failed to go ahead because of lack of interest from the local organisers linked with the group set up to run the fundraising campaign.

Saqib Nisar has been in London for over two weeks now and dates of events were announced in consultations with him as well as Faisal Vawda, the Federal Minister for Water Resources, but the meek response from the local chapter as well as the community groups led to the events being cancelled. It’s understood that the former chief justice made travel plan to London with his family on request of the organisers.

A source said, “Ex-CJP Saqib Nisar made London travel plans with his family to attend the fundraising events and to watch the ICC World Cup cricket matches but the organisers told him that the events have been cancelled due to lack of interest from the members of public after he had reached London.”

‘I am Pakistan Worldwide Movement (IAPWM)’ announced that three “awareness dinner galas” will be held in Birmingham, Manchester and London to raise funds for Diamer Bhasha & Mohmand Dam with “Mian Saqib Nisar, former Chief Justice of Pakistan, and Faisal Vawda, Federal Minister for Water Resources”.

It was announced that the fund raisers will be held on June 24 at Piccadilly Banquetting Suite, Birmingham; June 23, Royal Nawab Restaurant Manchester; and Royal Nawab in London on June 21.

The publicity posters carried pictures of Ahmed Syed, founder and Chairman ofIAPWM; Syed Rizvi, ex-additional attorney general for Pakistan and boxer Amir Khan. When contacted, a source at the boxer’s management team said that his name was printed without his knowledge.

It’s interesting to mention that one of the organisers claimed that the re-arranged events will be held on 15th of July but another organiser said the re-scheduled event will happen in October.

Ahmed Syed, who recently held fundraising events in Canada, confirmed the events were cancelled because the people didn’t show interest. “They didn’t buy tickets. The tickets are not for dam funds, these tickets are fixed only for the expenditure for venue, menu and admin. Other reason was that Faisal Vawda, Firdous Ashiq Awan and some other parliamentarian were stuck in the budget session and that’s why the events were postponed but it was our mistake that we couldn’t inform media and public well in time. Now, we are working to organise these events in October this year.”

Sayed Nayyer Rizvi, the former attorney general, said that the programme has been “delayed due to some visa problems and other unavoidable circumstances”. He said singer Nabeel Shoukat has been issued visa for the UK. “Rest of the media committee members Farooq and Noman have also reapplied for visas. Hopefully they will get visas and our team will be in UK soon and then the event will be held.”

The source, requesting anonymity, said that PTI’s UK leader Aneel Musarrat didn’t show any interest in the event unlike previously when he took lead in arranging a fund raiser when Saqib Nisar was the chief justice of Pakistan. Aneel Musarrat was asked questions but he didn’t reply.

In a statement, Faisal Vawda said he failed to attend the events because he was busy with the budget session and “other commitments”. Saqib Nisar was in Canada recently where the IAPWM raised funds for the dam construction. He was accompanied during the tour by PTI leaders Faisal Javed and Firdous Ashiq Awan.