PIA NEWS VOL.

Issue 04

PIA News
Vol.6

21st Feb 2016

T

GET YOUR BIKES OUT

PASSION, INTEGRITY & APNAPAN

On 12th March we will be part of nationwide National Bike Week 2016. The event is planned in
collaboration with Westcycle Inc, Department of Transport. You can participate in the event by;
a. posting a photograph of you on bike on our facebook. (Please note that these photographs will be
used for promotion, shared through social media and will become part of our evaluation submitted
to the funding organisation. Therefore in case the photographs are of the kids please do take
consent form their parents, guardian before uploading them on the event page). There are three
prizes to be won.
b. Bringing your bikes to the Piney Lakes Reserve, Murdoch Drive on 12th March 4 -7. There are three
prizes for best decorated bike.
c. Sending us names of kids who ride bike to school. They all will get a certificate.
d. PIA will be providing BBQ on the day. This will be a perfect opportunity for new migrants and
students to meet community members.
ON MOVE:
FAREWELL TO DEPUTY HIGH COMMISSIONER ASIMA RABBANI
Ms. Asima has now completed her term and as you read the newsletter she has returned back to
Pakistan. During her term in Australia, she has always been very helpful to any issues that our
community has faced and has managed the office as Acting High Commissioner as a competent and
professional officer of the Government of Pakistan. We wish her all the best for her future endeavors.

PIA NEWS VOL.6 | Issue 04

GROUP UPDATE
As the new academic session starts, we are in urgent need of accommodation for two ECU students.
One student is at ECU Maylands campus while the other one is at ECU Joondalup campus.
A submission was made for Community Grants Program for a project to initiate four activities fostering
harmony and social cohesion in collaboration with FAMAS and Sanskiriti WA. In addition a nomination
was submitted for WA Multicultural Award for organisations.
Brother Manzoor has conveyed thanks from Mr. Mansoor (Late Hassan Asifs uncle ) to community
appreciating everyones contribution and prayers during his final days.
E-NEWS received from Hon. Luke Simpkins (Member of Cowan)

MAKING US PROUD

Manzoor Ahmad Mian (VIC)

Received recognition for his contribution to the sharing Islamic culture with the Muslim and non-Muslim
community of Hume City for the past 20 years.
NATALIA SAEED (WA)
A Sir Walter Murdoch School Development Studies student, Natalia Saeed, has won a
Vice-Chancellors award to help her attend a major development cooperation forum
in Europe. The Summer School on New Development Cooperation: Breaking the
Chains of Poverty will take place in Prague in July 2016.
Earlier Natalia Saeed was also recipient of an Australian Institute of International
Affairs WA student bursary to encourage and support Western Australian university
students to undertake educational activities in Asia. She travelled to Cambodia in July
2015 to work on a Humanitarian Design Summit with the organisation Engineers Without Borders
Australia, gaining hands on experience on how community development projects are making use of new
technologies.
MOHAMMED ALI (ACT)
Mohammed Ali is a champion of the campaign by the ACT Human Rights and Discrimination
Commission's, 'Diversity Goes with Our Territory' and a recent winner of the Outstanding Volunteer of
the Year in the ACT Multicultural Award.

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WORK PLACE RIGHTS AND WORK VISA SCAMS

Considering stories in the media regarding underpayment to people on temporary visas with work
rights, it is timely to bring to your attention to some information for employees that is available on
Immigration's website at : http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/Work/workplace-rights . This includes
the following information and a lot more...
People working in Australia, including both sponsored and non-sponsored visa holders, have rights and
protections at work. These cannot be taken away by contracts or agreements.
Pay rates and workplace conditions are set by Australian law.
The Pay and Conditions Tool (PACT)<http://calculate.fairwork.gov.au/> provides information on pay
rates, shift calculations, leave arrangements and notice and redundancy entitlements.
The Fair Work Ombudsman<https://www.fairwork.gov.au/find-help-for/visa-holders-and-migrants> can
give you further information and advice about your workplace rights and obligations, and has workplace
information translated into different languages.<https://www.fairwork.gov.au/contact-us/languagehelp>
If you need an interpreter, you can contact the Translating and Interpreting
Service<https://www.tisnational.gov.au/en>
Your employer cannot cancel your visa
Only the Department of Immigration and Border Protection can grant, refuse or cancel visas. Visa
cancellation is not automatic in circumstances where a visa holder has breached their visa conditions. If
you are under consideration for visa cancellation, you will have the opportunity to provide reasons as to
why your visa should not be cancelled.
Helpful recordkeeping hints when you start working in Australia
* keep a diary of days and hours worked
* keep copies or records of employment details, pay slips, agreements and superannuation and tax
documents.
Also:
On 14 December 2015, new criminal and civil penalties and visa cancellation provisions were introduced
as part of a 'paying for visa sponsorship ' framework that allows for sanctions to be imposed on a person
who asks for, receives, offers or provides a benefit in return for visa sponsorship or employment (that
requires visa sponsorship).
'Paying for visa sponsorship' conduct is considered unacceptable by the Australian Government as it
undermines the integrity of the skilled work programmes, which are designed to address genuine skill
shortages in the Australian labour market by making employees available from outside Australia.
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It is not acceptable for sponsors, nominators, employers or other third parties to make a personal gain
from their position in a 'paying for visa sponsorship' arrangement, nor is it acceptable for current or
prospective visa holders to obtain permanent residence in Australia, or have the opportunity to work in
Australia by providing a benefit to an employer for a job.
To further strengthen this framework, sponsors, nominators and visa applicants will be required to, as
part of the application process, state whether or not they have actively participated in conduct that
contravenes the new 'paying for visa sponsorship' laws.
More information is available at http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/Work-1

WA VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD

Nominations are now open so do let us know if there is any community member that deserve to be
nominated.

NEW GROUPS LAUNCHED

In WA, a group of young Pakistanis have launched a new group called We Are One and are organizing an
event on 5th March which is by invitation only.
In Queensland, QLD Pak Association has been formed which will have its first event on 23rd March to
celebrate Pakistan Day. It will be an enjoyable night with a 3 course meal, stalls, fashion parade and
prizes to be won!
Tickets are only $45 per person or book a table for 10 for $400!
There are limited seats available so book now at http://www.trybooking.com/KGCP

AUSTRALIA PAKISTAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

Australia Pakistan Medical Association (APMA) is organising our annual Meet n Greet on 3rd APRIL
2016 at 1pm. Please save the date and the details of the event along with the programme will be
posted out soon.
This is a social event and partners and children are also cordially invited.
Please lock in the date. Sunday 3rd APRIL 2016 1pm.

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KASHMIR SOLIDARITY DAY

To commemorate the Kashmir Solidarity Day, a seminar on Peace and Stability in South Asia was
organized at the High Commission for Pakistan in Canberra.
The panellists included General Ehsan- ul- Haq, former DG(ISI) and former Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff
Committee who was specially invited to be the key note speaker; Prof. William Maley, Director, Asia
Pacific College of Diplomacy, Hedley Bull Centre, Australian National University(ANU); Mr. Ian Dudgeon,
Presidential Associate, Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA); Mr. Nick Stuart, Political
Analyst, Canberra Times and Ambassador(R) Musa Javed Chohan.
Such a high level panel attracted a large audience including representatives from the Ministry of
Defence; DFAT, academia, intelligentsia, researchers, diplomatic corps and Pakistani community based
in Canberra.
General Ehsan-ul-Haq in his keynote address gave a lucid presentation of actual situation on the ground
and the regional developments threatening peace, while Ambassador (R) Chohan elaborated the
genesis of the Kashmir issue and its continuing impact on the peace and stability in the region. Prof.
William Maley while appreciating the efforts of the Government of Pakistan for embarking on
confidence building measures which were proof of its robustness, called on the Government of Australia
to enlist TTP as a terrorist organization. Mr. Nick Stuart called for a better understanding of Pakistan and
the dynamics of the region. Ian Dudgeon stated that the leadership on both sides seemed to have good
intentions but the burden of history was too much. He emphasized the need for promoting trade and
working together against extremism and hoped that UN involvement could help. The High
Commissioner in her concluding remarks, emphasized that there should be a distinction between
extremist actions and legitimate struggle for right to self-determination. She highlighted the
commitment of the Government of Pakistan to a just and peaceful resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir
dispute in accordance with the UN Resolutions.
It was a very successful event. On the sidelines of the seminar, a poster exhibition on atrocities and
human rights violations being committed by the Indian Occupying Forces, was also held.

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FELLOWSHIPS/SCHOLARSHIPS
CHARLES WALLACE TRUST FELLOWSHIPS 2016 2017 are now open.
The SSAI is pleased to announce that the Charles Wallace Pakistan Fellowship has been reinstated
at SOAS for 2016-2017 and we are now inviting applications for the three month Fellowship, to be
taken during term-time (late September to mid-December).
The Fellowship, awarded by the Centre for the Study of Pakistan (located within the SOAS South
Asia Institute (SSAI)) and the Charles Wallace Pakistan Trust, is for a scholar who has had no, or
little, opportunity to conduct research outside Pakistan.
Please note applicants must be Pakistani nationals, be residing in Pakistan at the time the
application is submitted, have a completed PhD, and working in the fields of 'Pakistan studies'
(Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences) which are supported at SOAS.

Closing date: 31 May 2016

A complete application will comprise:
The application form duly filled in (including Section 12, list of your Publications and
Section 16, a Description of your Proposed Research including an explanation of why
SOAS in particular is an appropriate venue for you to pursue this research).
Two letters of recommendation.
All material must be submitted electronically and sent to ssai@soas.ac.uk
Candidate criteria and electronic application details can be found here:
http://www.soas.ac.uk/south-asia-institute/scholarships/fellowship/pakistan/
AUSAID FELLOWSHIPS ARE ALSO OPEN FOR POSTGRADUATE COURSES.