Prof. Abdul Jamil Khan, Prof. Seiichi Kawakita, Dr. Maqbool Jafary, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Akhtar, and friends. You will note from the banners around you that we either have, or would like to have to have friends all over the world.

On behalf of the Pakistan Heart Foundation, I shall like to welcome you all, especially the delegates from overseas, including: Prof. Seiichi Kawakita and Dr. Katsuhiro Yoshitake from Japan, Prof. Chaun Xiang Lin from China, Prof. Angelo Taranta from the U.S.A., Dr. S. Padmavati, Prof. Kunti Prakash and Prof. Soghra Begum from India, Mr. Bryn Williams and dr. H.A. Muhammad from the U.K., Prof. Abdul Malik and Prof. R.K. Khandaker from Bangladesh, Dr. U.D/ Wijayawardhana from Sri Lanka, Dr. G.N. Hurimurti from Indonesia and Dr. George Behr from Kuwait.

I would like to express my gratitude to the Asian Pacific Society of Cardiology, the team of the Pakistan Heart Foundation, and the management of the Holiday Inn Hotel, Islamabad.