A promotion seminar for the Rotary International Convention for the year 2020 in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, was organized and hosted by the Rotary Club of Faisalabad City. The organizing committee consisted of the RI Convention promotion chairperson of Pakistan Rotarian Dr. Ashfaq Qamar Khan, Assistant Governor Rotarian Rana Waseem Sarwar, Club President Rotarian Doctor Dilawaiz Mujahid, and Secretary-Elect Rotarian Adnan Khan.
The RI Convention Promotion Chairperson, Rotarian Doctor Muhammad Ashfaq Qamar Khan, is a very senior and recognized Rotarian of his club and Rotary Pakistan. He has served his club as the President, Assistant Governor, Deputy Governor, and Zone Coordinator in the past. In addition to serving his club, Rotarian Dr. Ashfaq has participated in several Rotary International Conventions around the globe, including Germany in 2019, Canada in 2018, the USA in 2017, and many others.
Since he has participated in many International Conventions, he knows and understands the Rotary world well, which is why Rotary International awarded him the massive responsibility of being the promotion chairperson of the RI Convention 2020 for Pakistan. This is the first and only time so far that someone from the city of Faisalabad has been given this responsibility and honor. It was a proud moment for all the Rotary clubs of the city.
This seminar turned out to be a huge success. It was full of knowledge, learning, interactions, and fun. The promotion seminar occurred at Serena Hotel, Faisalabad, on March 7th, 2020. The vast experience of Rotarian Doctor Ashfaq Qamar Khan in the Rotary world helped him organize the seminar in a very well-mannered way, and it became a huge success. Rotarians from different cities and clubs in Pakistan participated in this seminar. The seminar significantly increased the participants’ knowledge of Rotary World and the upcoming International Convention. Junior Rotarians and Rotarian Adnan Khan welcomed participants at the registration desk. After the registration, the chairperson, Rotarian Doctor Ashfaq Qamar, accompanied all the guests to the hall.
Many famous and top personalities, not only from Rotary Pakistan but from the country’s political world, also participated in this seminar. One of the current ministers of the country, who is also a Rotarian, Mr. Sardar Husnain Bahadur Dreshak, participated as the Guest of Honor for the evening, which caught the considerable interest and attention of the media industry. A couple of TV channels covered this seminar as it was broadcast on news channels. District Governor for the International Region 3272, Rotarian Mubarak Ali Shahid, also participated. Both of these personalities attended the previous convention in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, back in 2017. Furthermore, Past District Governor, Mr. Bhatti, and the District Governor nominee for 2021-22, Mr. Adnan Saboor Ruhaila, were also present. All these personalities were impressed, and the organizing and chairperson, Dr. Ashfaq, was praised for his skills and how well he organized and managed it.
This six-hour seminar started with the House of Friendship, where Rotarians and their families interacted with each other. This was followed by the introductory speech of the Club President Rotarian, Dr. Muhammad Dilawaiz Mujahid. After this, Rotarian Ramzan Abir delivered a comprehensive presentation on the visa filing process in the USA. This included all the application steps, from visa application filling to fee submission and visa interview. A Question and Answer session followed it.
Dr. Ashfaq, the promotion chairperson, took the stage, delivered a remarkable and memorable speech, and ultimately caught the audience’s attention. He shared his life as a Rotarian, experiences from past conventions, and international travel. He also provided guidance about the upcoming convention, how Rotarians could make the most of it, and instructions about pleasant and smooth traveling to the USA.
Following this, the speeches from the Guest of Honor, Mr. Saradar Husnain Bahadur Dreshak, District Governor Mr. Mubarak Ali Shahid, and District Governor nominee Mr. Adnan Saboor Ruhaila, took place. They praised and appreciated the efforts of the Chairperson, Mr. Ashfaq, and the host club, the Rotary Club of Faisalabad City, and mentioned that it was worth attending. Their knowledge was updated to a great extent.
In the last seminar session, a lucky draw entertained the guests. The Rotarians and their families enjoyed it very much. The lucky draw winners received precious gifts. After this, shields were awarded to the guest of honor, current and nominated District Governors, and the other famous and prominent personalities who participated. A “Special Appreciation Certificate” and a “Participation Certificate” were awarded to all the participants.
Eventually, Assistant Governor Rotarian Rana Waseem Server thanked all the participants, followed by dinner. The guests were served great food, including local Pakistani spicy food, BBQ, and Chinese food. It was followed by many different desserts and, eventually, tea and coffee.
This was the most successful among the country’s Rotary International Convention Promotion Seminars over the years. This was proved by the feedback the attendees gave, where they mentioned that they successfully got the USA visa and gave the main credit to this seminar. Many of them added that before attending the workshop, their knowledge needed to be completed about the exact process of the visa, and their success chance was in doubt. Still, it increased their knowledge, motivated them a lot, and made them confident and more knowledgeable while filling out the visa application and interview. It was observed and calculated that most seminar attendees got visas successfully.
Furthermore, Participants expressed their sincere appreciation for all the efforts and advance planning done by the Chairperson Rotarian Dr. Ashfaq Qamar Khan, which made this seminar by the Rotary Club of Faisalabad City such a fortunate event, attracted a great deal of attention and praise from all the Rotarians around the country. They agreed it was worth every minute of their time as valuable information was necessary and shared with them, and it helped them get the visa. Many Rotarians called it a one-person show by Dr. Ashfaq Qamar Khan. It was indeed a great event full of learning and socializing. The seminar was a huge success and will be remembered for a long time.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 didn’t allow this convention in the USA to occur as scheduled, so it was canceled. If it had taken place, it was sure that being the promotion chairperson, Rotarian Ashfaq Qamar was the prominent personality of Rotary Pakistan and would have led the country’s Rotarians into and would have given a very positive image of Rotary Pakistan in that convention and made it a memorable experience and convention for Pakistani Rotarians. Hence, because of its positive outcome, he is expected to be honored to become the promotion chairperson again for the USA’s next Rotary International Convention in Houston, Texas, in 2022.
The success of this seminar increased the popularity of the main organizer and convention promotion chairperson, Rotarian Dr. Ashfaq Qamar Khan, as the Rotarians and their families gave him credit for the seminar’s success and their visa applications. No one knows what the future holds, but rumors have already spread that because of his past services to Rotary International for many years and this seminar, Mr. Ashfaq made his place in the hearts of many Rotarians. Many believe he is the true face of Rotary Pakistan and want him to be seen as the District Governor of 3272 in the future so that he can represent Rotary Pakistan worldwide. We don’t know if his response is optimistic about taking this enormous responsibility, as he has yet to comment on anything related. Still, one thing is certain: he is the most deserving candidate for this post.