TARBELA DAY 4

" Special "

Le foto sono alla rinfusa

L'Ambasciatore Pakistano mr.Mirza Qamar Beg (al centro)

con sette dei nati a Tarbela

Your Excellency,

First of  all let me express you our welcome and gratitude for attending this gathering, which is bringing together quite a few of the people who worked at Tarbela. We greatly appreciate the importance that you are giving to this event with your presence.

There is no point in my describing to you the Tarbela Project, as you are certainly quite well acquainted with it. I just wish to recollect that it was executed and completed in time and to the Pakistan Government’s full satisfaction by an international consortium named Tarbela Joint Venture. This venture was constituted by Italian, French, German and Swiss companies, of which the Italian company IMPREGILO was the Sponsor and Mr. Giuseppe Lodigiani the leader. He is unfortunately unable to participate because of ill health, but he has requested me to convey to you his warm welcome and regards.

The people whom you see around these tables are but a small part of the many thousands of people who contributed with their work to the construction of the Project. Our thought goes first to the Pakistani workers and staff  - about fifteen thousand at peak – who were at all times at the core of the construction activity. Without them, their toil and their dedication, Tarbela would not exist. So many years have passed since the job was completed, but I feel the need  at this moment to think of them and of what may have happened to all of them. I hope and wish that many are still alive and in good health..

At the end let me introduce the people who are here. Many nationalities worked and collaborated harmoniously at Tarbela – twenty-six, if I remember correctly. These people here – more than two hundred counting also their families - are part of the Italian staff of the Tarbela Joint Venture.

This is the third time they gather together, and you may wonder what brings them every year in such conspicuous numbers. I feel I can give an answer by extrapolating to them my own feelings. As General Manager of the Joint Venture I spent many years of my life at Tarbela from 1968 to 1984 and I loved every moment of them, despite so many hardships and problems. I loved the work, the people with whom I was associated and, last but not least, I loved your country and your people. I am sure all of this, together with the pride for having contributed to the construction of such a huge project, is also in the hearts of those who are here.

I hope I have not been too long with my introduction. I should now be grateful if you would say a few words before we start to consume this meal in friendship and togetherness.

L'ing.Baldassarrini stringe la mano a
Mr. Mirza Qamar Beg,
Ambasciatore pakistano in Italia.
IL NOSTRO RINGRAZIAMENTO Your Excellency   High Commissioner Our best thanks for your being at Green Hotel with all of us. It has been very kind of you to  participate in our meeting. You can be sure that all the people who were there for the ceremony have enjoyed your presence. Particularly the boys and girls born in Tarbela are very proud to have a photo with you. You can find it attached.    We hope we can go back to Tarbela in Pakistan all together soon or later. In that case we’ll turn to you for help, but now it’s only a dream for us.    Thanking again for your kindness, receive our best regards.  Tarbela day 4  Committee

Al Direttore del Green Hotel, sig. Shigri

Ringraziamo Lei  e il Suo Staff  per la disponibilità, l'impegno e

la cordialità rivolti all'ottima riuscita del nostro incontro del 4

Settembre scorso presso il Green Hotel.

In particolare Le siamo grati di avere ottenuto per noi

l'intervento dell Ambasciatore Pakistano Mr.Mirza Qamar

Beg, che ha dato un significato importante alla nostra riunione

La salutiamo cordialmente.