'I leave my heart in the UAE', outgoing Pakistan envoy says

AMBASSADOR TIRMIZI REFLECTS ON HIS YEARS OF SERVICE AND MILESTONES

- BY ASHFAQ AHMED Managing editor

Pakistan Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi (right) with Pakistan Business Council Chairman Shabbier Merchant, Mustafa Hemani and Iftikhar Ali Tatlah during his farewell dinner in Dubai.

It has been the greatest honour of my 33-year career to serve in this beautiful country," said Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, his voice breaking slightly as he addressed a hall filled with community leaders, diplomats, and business figures.

"The affection, respect, and love I have received here will remain with me forever. The UAE is not just a posting for me, it is a part of my soul," he said.

These words set the tone for an emotional farewell as the Ambassador bids goodbye to the United Arab Emirates, a country where he spent the longest posting of his diplomatic life and where he built bonds that, in his own words, "will never fade."

Reflecting on his tenure, Ambassador Tirmizi spoke of progress in trade, investment, and diplomacy, but also of the human spirit behind those numbers.

He said that trade ties between Pakistan and the UAE grew by 30 per cent, a sign of strengthening business confidence. Remittances from Pakistani workers surged from $5 billion to $8 billion, a figure he said reflected the "hard work of 2.2 million unsung heroes" living in the Emirates.