EXCLUSIVE: Pakistanis unite at the House of Commons as nation goes through phase of crisis, NUPSA joint press conference

Hope, belief and the will to succeed during these traumatic times should see us through.

This was the message from British Pakistanis as they gathered at the House of Commons to show a united front in the face of growing terrorist atrocities in the South Asian state. As I write this, a bomb blast in Peshawar is the latest in a long line of terrorists attacks which have included suicide bombings and attacks on Pakistani troops in North-West of the country. While Pakistan faces such testing times, Pakistanis in the UK remain resolute and committed to empowering the youth of today in serving their fellow countrymen. In a joint press conference held by the National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni (NUPSA) and the Empowering Communities Foundation (ECF), the message of hope was intertwined with belief in positive change through a united Pakistani youth movement. Several panellists spoke of their vision of a brighter future in Pakistan. This was followed by a Q&A session before a tea reception led to the end of proceedings.

So, where were we.... It is of course not the first time I've covered a NUPSA event on umaronline.com. Last month, we had the NUPSA Freshers Dinner at the Pakistan High Commission, an evening bringing together Pakistani students and alumni from universities across the UK to one platform. Today was a little different for more obvious reasons, NUPSA has already postponed a charity ball in the wake of terrorist attacks in Pakistan and today the committee came out with the ECF to maintain their firm stance towards a bright future. The setting was ample in the circumstances and the speakers did their job. The NUPSA press man Faizan Rana had told me earlier that this was not a political conference and not a forum to debate a solution to the current conflict in Pakistan. Needless to say that by the time it came to the Q&A, the majority of the audience members had thought up their mini-speeches. It was less questions and more statements. The whole thing left me a little confused but order was soon restored.

My question (and it was a question) was based on the experience of having attended several press conferences and seen many organisations like NUPSA talk the talk but fail to practically deliver. So, how did this student union intend to put its plans into action on the ground level? From what I gathered, there was the slight possibility of a student revolution being advocated here. Clearly, to have an influence on the social and political structure of Pakistan, NUPSA has to do something practically viable. The aim, according to Faizan Rana, is to unite the Pakistani youth through various social networks around the world. If NUPSA can, over a period of time become a major force of students here in the UK, US and Pakistan, then the ability to lobby and actively get involved in the political process in Pakistan has not been ruled out.

Clearly there is a long way to go here. However, every single individual on that panel was committed in serving Pakistan to their best of their abilities. The organisation has around 26 Pakistan societies signed up from various institutions across the UK. They are growing from strength to strength and hosting regular events here in the UK and Pakistan. So unity, as highlighted in today's press conference can only be a good thing. There is a framework in place and the people involved have a vague ideas of where they want to go. As long as Pakistani youth in the UK are united and committed in helping Pakistan, the future of the trouble hit state is in good hands. The standard has been set, now can the Pakistani students rise to the challenge? Only time will tell.

As always, umaronline.com was there to cover the press conference. Here are some exclusive snaps and video highlights from the House of Commons. For independent journalism and commentary on news, sports and entertainment... umaronline.com

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