1. Name of Association: The Association shall be named Pakistan-Norway Association. It shall use the acronym PANA.
2. Address: PANA’s email address is PforPANA@yahoo.com PANA’s street and postal address is that of the President at any given time (or other address as decided by the Board). The President’s phone number and those of the Board Members shall be made readily available. In future, PANA may open its own P.O. Box and create a Website domain. PANA shall as soon as possible open a Bank Account.
3. Type of Association: PANA is an International Friendship Association in Pakistan. It shall inform the country’s relevant authorities about its establishment and shall follow all rules and regulations, incl. registration, pertaining to such associations. Equally, it shall inform the Embassy of Norway, Islamabad, of its establishment. PANA shall seek good cooperation with all relevant Pakistani and Norwegian authorities.
4. Location: PANA shall be located in Islamabad. It can establish branches, groups and activities elsewhere in Pakistan. It shall seek to establish links with relevant groups, organizations, institutions, companies and individuals in Norway, and possibly elsewhere.
5 . Objectives: (a) PANA aims at being a broad-based social and cultural meeting place for Pakistanis and Norwegians in Pakistan, and friends of the two countries of any nationality. (b) PANA wishes to contribute to expanding and deepening people-to-people contact and linkages between Pakistan and Norway and play an advocacy role as a “people’s voice”. (c) PANA also wishes to play a role in specific fields, such as cooperation and development in education, research, trade, the social sector and other fields of interest to individuals, organizations, institutions and companies from the two countries. However, PANA cannot support sectarian interests of any kind. (c) Since there is a large Pakistani diaspora in Norway, PANA shall give special attention to the needs and interests of this group of “new Norwegians”. (d) Furthermore, since the majority of the Pakistani-Norwegians originate from one geographic area in Pakistan, notably Kharian in Gujrat, PANA shall as soon as possible establish contact with the Pakistani-Norwegians and other community members there.
6. Membership: PANA shall be open to members of any nationality. However, it is obvious that the majority of its members will be Pakistanis and Norwegians. Special attention shall be given to attract members from the Pakistani-Norwegian community in Pakistani, yet without tilting the Association to become an interest organization for this group alone. Hence, attention shall also be given to attract members from among the rest of the Norwegian community in Pakistan, as well as other Nordic citizens, who live in Pakistan for shorter or longer periods of time, for work (such as development and humanitarian aid and diplomacy), business, holiday, retirement or other reasons. Furthermore, PANA shall seek to attract Pakistani members who for some reason or other have an interest in Norway, or all the Nordic countries. PANA’s activities shall be open to Members, Associate Members as well as Non-Members; the latter in order to strengthen the Association’s international and multicultural character. This shall not hinder, however, that at certain times, some activities could be organized for defined sub-groups, such as gender or age groups, and some activities may be organized in Urdu, Punjabi, or Norwegian rather than English, which will normally be used.
7. Registration of Members: PANA shall invite members to register in two categories: (a) Members and (b) Associate Members. Only Members (ordinary/full members) have the right to vote at the General Assembly and can be elected to the Board. Associate Members may be persons living outside Pakistan, in Norway or other countries, who still wish to receive regular information about all PANA’s activities. Associate Members can contribute to PANA’s activities through written and other forms of communication. PANA shall charge a modest Membership Fee (for the two membership categories), as decided by the Board. PANA’s Board shall develop simple and efficient ways of recruiting and registering members, and receive the membership fees, to be transferred to PANA’s bank account or paid in cash to the Board’s treasurer. A receipt shall be issued, forming the Membership Card. Note: No Membership Fee shall be charged for year 2008, which is PANA’s first year of formal Membership Registration. Voluntary contributions are invited.
8. General Assembly and Board: PANA’s highest authority rests with its General Assembly, which shall meet at least once a year to elect its Board and draw up general guidelines for the Association’s activities. Election of the Board shall take place at the General Assembly, usually to be held towards the end of each calendar year. The Board Members shall be elected to hold office for the following calendar year. Board Members can be reelected. The Board shall have three to seven (3-7) Members, as decided by the General Assembly. The Board shall be broad-based and balanced as for gender, nationality, background, geographic residence, etc. Hence, the Board Members dont have to be Norwegian citizens and/or domicile in Norway, but should have some tangible relationship or linkage to Norway, e.g. close family relations, former student, business, research, travel in Norway.
If Board Members resign during the year (because they leave the country, or for other reasons), supplementary members must be elected if the number drops below the lowest permitted number of three members. In addition to the Board, PANA can establish advisory groups and ad hoc or permanent committees for various tasks and activities. The Board shall have a President (Chair), Vice-President (Vice-Chair) and other office bearers, as the Board sees practical, to handle secretarial functions, accounts, publicity, fund raising and the actual activities of PANA. The General Assembly shall name the President and Vice-President but shall let the Board select from among its members the other office bearers. The Board shall be elected with simple majority. The Board shall meet at least four (4) times a year, twice in spring and twice in autumn. Quorum is constituted if at least 50% of the Board Members attend a Board Meeting. The Board shall draw up plans for its business in accordance with general good practice. It shall prepare a written annual report to be submitted to the General Assembly, summarizing activities and finances, and draw up future plans.
9. Election Committee: An Election Committee shall nominate candidates for the Board and inform the Members well in advance of the names of the nominated candidates. Initially, the Election Committee consists of two of PANA’s founding members. When the General Assembly decides, or the members of the election committee want to be relieved of their duties, the general Assembly shall name a new Election Committee. If the Board seizes to function, or for other extraordinary reasons, the Election Committee shall have the power to call an Extraordinary General Assembly.
10. Funding: The Board shall decide PANA’s Membership Fee for Members and Associate Members. Since the funds raised through membership fee will be limited, PANA needs to seek other funding to support its activities, such as sponsorship and donations for general and specific activities, from governmental and non-governmental organizations, private companies and individuals in Pakistan, Norway and elsewhere. PANA can initiate fund-raising activities as it sees fit. It can hold bazaars, charge entrance fees for specific activities, etc.
11. Activities: PANA’s Board is responsible for planning and implementing the Association’s activities. Members and Associate Members can propose activities and offer to implement and fund such, fully or partially. The Board shall draw up a flexible Annual Activities Plan, with a few core activities and other activities as interest, capacity and funding allow. Ad hoc and special activities shall be implemented as situations arise. The Board shall entrust responsibility for implementation of tasks on individual Board Members and other Members and Associate Members of the Association. For simplicity and efficiency in implementation of activities, PANA’s President shall have the authority to decide on most matters without calling a Board Meeting, or he/she may consult Board Members on phone/email. In addition to the four annual Board Meetings, the President shall call additional meetings as and when he/she sees it required.
12. Further Rules and Regulations: PANA’s Board and the General Assembly shall prepare further rules and regulations for implementation of business, as required. The General Assembly shall approve and can amendment these Statues. A modest International Friendship Association of PANA’s type should keep business simple with focus on activities and results rather than office procedures. Yet, a certain amount of rigor is required, including as regards the way Board Meetings are called (with written agendas) and implemented, minutes are prepared, fund-raising and accounting are handled, annual reports presented, etc.
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PANA was established in May 2006 and the Interim Board implemented activities in 2006 and 2007. Until the current Statutes were prepared, PANA based its activities on its preliminary statutes and other background documents. PANA’s predecessor was an informal group, which implemented modest activities, such as high teas and dinners, and some other activities, since early in 2002, mostly as social forums for emergency, humanitarian and development aid workers from Norway and other countries, and Pakistani colleagues and friends.
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These Statues have been prepared by the PANA Board in 2008 and have been approved and signed by each
Board Member and the Founding Members-Election Committee.
