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    CRISTINA VON SPERLING AFRIDI: FROM BRAZIL WITH LOVE

    Written by: Dr. Dushka H. Saiyid
    Posted on: July 15, 2013 |

    The model

    Cristina is a Brazilian, whose adopted home is Pakistan. With a larger than life presence, she’s an accomplished equestrian, restaurateur, philanthropist, an interior designer, a diplomat’s wife and a firm presence on Islamabad’s social scene.

    She traces her family lineage to Prussian blue blood; from Hindenburg, Chancellor of the Weimar Republic, to General Erich von Manstein, one of Hitler’s most brilliant military strategists, dismissed for daring to disagree with him in 1944. Her branch of the family migrated to Brazil in mid-nineteenth century, and her ancestor was the first Consul of Germany in Brazil. They settled in Ouro Preto and Bello Horizonte, in the province of Minas Gerais, an area famed for its gold rush since the 1600s. Cristina’s family moved to Brasilia, the capital, when she was one year old.

    Cristina’s penchant for discovering the world started early.  She was only seventeen when she left for Perugia, Italy, and graduated from the University for Foreigners and Accademia di Belli Art Pietro Vanucci. Her entrepreneurial skills became evident as a student, when she took to modeling to supplement her pocket money. She is a product of the different political currents that were sweeping over Brazil, which oscillated between democracy and military rule. Her father was an activist of the left, concerned about the plight of the working class and involved with the unrest that swept through campuses in 1968. That is where she acquired a social conscience and a desire for a change.

    With President Joao Figueiredo

    She became friends with the last military ruler and President, who ushered in democracy for Brazil in the ‘90s. What she had in common with President Joao Figueiredo was a love of horses, which was also the magnet between the glamorous show jumper and the polo playing Pakistan’s ambassador to Brazil, Tariq Afridi; they got married in 1989, and Karim was born a few years later in Portugal.

    With Princess Sarvath and Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan

    Her father’s concern for the less privileged has stayed with her, and while her husband was posted in Jordan, she was actively involved in charity work with Princess Sarvath, the wife of Prince Hassan bin Talal. When Ambassador Afridi returned to Pakistan, Cristina did voluntary work for PIMS, the main government hospital of Islamabad, and fundraising for Layton Rahmatulla Benevolent Trust and the Kidney Center.

    With Imran Khan

    Putting down roots in Islamabad, and giving expression to her entrepreneurial skills in an alien environment was challenging, even for a feisty and outgoing person like her. She did interior designing for many embassies, including that of the UAE, Portugal and Australia, before she opened Majlis, a restaurant of Lebanese cuisine. Inaugurated by Prince Hassan bin Talal, Majlis became an iconic haunt of all the movers and shakers during the Musharraf regime, but now the petty officialdom are not so cooperative. Her trials and tribulations continued with resistance to the land mafia, who tried to grab public land near her house in Bani Gala, and had the temerity to fire bullets at her house because they had political patronage. She stood her ground, and they backed off. What a damning testament of our lawless and avaricious political class! Not surprisingly, she supports change and Imran’s reformist agenda, because she feels that the corrupt status quo is destroying Pakistan from within.

    In recognition of her role in promoting Brazil’s friendship with Pakistan, she was awarded the Order of Rio Branco by the government of Brazil. While embracing Pakistan, Cristina fiercely retains her identity: her motto is, “wherever you go, you take your country with you”.

    Click to view picture gallery


    As the new year begins, let us also start anew. I’m delighted to extend, on behalf of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and in my own name, new year’s greeting and sincere wishes to YOULIN magazine’s staff and readers.

    Only in hard times can courage and perseverance be manifested. Only with courage can we live to the fullest. 2020 was an extraordinary year. Confronted by the COVID-19 pandemic, China and Pakistan supported each other and took on the challenge in solidarity. The ironclad China-Pakistan friendship grew stronger as time went by. The China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects advanced steadily in difficult times, become a standard-bearer project of the Belt and Road Initiative in balancing pandemic prevention and project achievement. The handling capacity of the Gwadar Port has continued to rise and Afghanistan transit trade through the port has officially been launched. The Karakoram Highway Phase II upgrade project is fully open to traffic. The Lahore Orange Line project has been put into operation. The construction of Matiari-Lahore HVDC project was fully completed. A batch of green and clean energy projects, such as the Kohala and Azad Pattan hydropower plants have been substantially promoted. Development agreement for the Rashakai SEZ has been signed. The China-Pakistan Community of Shared Future has become closer and closer.

    Reviewing the past and looking to the future, we are confident to write a brilliant new chapter. The year 2021 is the 100th birthday of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Pakistan. The 100-year journey of CPC surges forward with great momentum and China-Pakistan relationship has flourished in the past 70 years. Standing at a new historic point, China is willing to work together with Pakistan to further implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, connect the CPEC cooperation with the vision of the “Naya Pakistan”, promote the long-term development of the China-Pakistan All-weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership with love, dedication and commitment. Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the founding father of Pakistan said, “We are going through fire. The sunshine has yet to come.” Yes, Pakistan’s best days are ahead, China will stand with Pakistan firmly all the way.

    YOULIN magazine is dedicated to promoting cultural exchanges between China and Pakistan and is a window for Pakistani friends to learn about China, especially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. It is hoped that with the joint efforts of China and Pakistan, YOULIN can listen more to the voices of readers in China and Pakistan, better play its role as a bridge to promote more effectively people-to-people bond.

    Last but not least, I would like to wish all the staff and readers of YOULIN a warm and prosper year in 2021.

    Nong Rong Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
    The People’s Republic of China to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
    January 2021