Keeping up with the welfare services for the expatriate community, Pakistan Arts Society-Qatar (PAS) is organising a one-day Career Counselling Session this weekend. Dr Faisal Izhar, Associate Professor, Fatima Memorial Hospital and College of Medicine and Dentistry from Pakistan, has been invited to speak to high school and college students from the local educational institutions.


Dr Faisal Izhar has over 20 years of experience in the field of dentistry.

The PAS has invited all Pakistani community educational institutions to send girls and boys from higher secondary and college to the seminar. “We believe this event will help a lot to assist students in making their minds on their future careers,” said Muhammad Abrar Hussain, President of PAS. 
The programme will start at 9am on May 28 (Saturday), at Pakistan embassy auditorium. Dr Izhar is a  renowned dental healthcare professional in Lahore. He has been in this field for the past 20 years and has carried out research and promoted oral healthcare.
Currently working as an Associate Professor and Head of the Preventive and Community Dentistry Department at the Fatima Memorial Hospital and College of Dentistry in Lahore, he is teaching undergraduates in the college and doing community dental health services.
He has carried out various dental public health projects, amongst the most prominent is the Live, Laugh and Learn project funded by the WHO. This project was based upon providing schoolchildren with preventive dental healthcare and education with a fun aspect to make it more interesting for the students aged 6-13.
It was a success in which they not only provided quality dental care with a follow up but also proved that by doing this preventive care, the state can save a substantial amount of money on dental healthcare on the adult population. School dental health services are run throughout the year under the supervision of Dr Izhar in his institution, by going to the schools and providing care in the classrooms. 
Oral health education and promotion are the most essential features of today’s dental healthcare. A small group of dedicated and patriotic Pakistani friends started their social activities with an objective of promoting Pakistani art, culture and tourism in Qatar in July 1986 under the banner of Sada-i-Doost. A year later, this turned into Pak Community Qatar and finally in 1991, the name was changed to Pakistan Arts Society Qatar.
PAS objectives include dissemination of accurate and reliable information about Pakistan to Qatari and Western expatriate communities, enhancing Pakistan’s goodwill in the State of Qatar, boosting business relations between the two countries and assisting in promoting tourism in Pakistan.
PAS works up to its extent in strengthening fraternal relations and cultural ties between Pakistanis and Qataris. PAS has invited leading Pakistani intellectuals, writers, poets, performers and artists to Qatar on a regular basis. 
PAS has organised a number of programmes over the past years including lectures by noted scholars from Pakistan, art and handicraft exhibitions, music concerts, funfairs, poetry sessions, book launching ceremonies, programmes for promoting tourism in Pakistan, various competitions among the students of Pakistani schools, receptions in the honour of noted Pakistanis, farewells, tributes and other such events. 
PAS works closely with other societies and individuals as well in making successful any programmes arranged by them. PAS holds the honour of some of its programmes being inaugurated or presided over by Qatari ministers or other high-level government officials. 
PAS has arranged a number of interviews of visiting prominent Pakistani personalities on QTV, Al Jazeera Channel and the Urdu service of Radio Qatar.
PAS has organised a number of programmes in collaboration with Qatari authorities including a calligraphy exhibition, musical night and a grand fun fair for Qatar Petroleum.  PAS has also held programmes in collaboration with Pakistani companies and NGOs like Pakistan International Airlines and The Citizens Foundation.