Most of the communities socialise with each other through their associations/organisations comprising of like-minded people. It’s same with Pakistani community living in Melbourne, Australia. The first such association in Melbourne was established by Pakistani students at Russel St on Sunday, 05 June 1960. The association was named Pakistan Australia Association of Victoria. The official stamp of the association reads as “Pakistan Australia Association Melbourne “(Victoria). PAAM has inherited the original documents of this association.
As the years passed and the number of Pakistanis in Melbourne increased, more and more such associations were formed. These associations were competing for each other. It was under these circumstances, some elders and young Pakistanis realised that there is a dire need for an association which would welcome all Pakistanis and cooperate with other associations.
These names include were, Sadiq Ullah Khan, Dr A.K. Kazi. Dr. Shabbir Tariq, R.P. Dewan, Wasi Qureshi, Hussain Mir, Col Mohammad Arif, Aslam Kazi, Hayat Qureshi, Dr N,Cheema,Manzoor Mian, Habib Rehman, Ashfaq Munshi, Dr.M. Shahbaz Chaudhry, Aqueel Syed, Ch. Nasir, Dr Iqbal Gondal, Dr Ishaq Bhatti, Tahir Hashmi and many more spirited young Pakistanis.
Col Mohammad Arif was assigned the task of taking necessary measures to incorporate an association. Consequently, Pakistan Australia Association Melbourne Incorporated (PAAM) was established. The inaugural general meeting was held on Sunday, 23 July 2006 at Templestowe Memorial Hall; Templestowe Victoria. This meeting was attended by 56 foundation members. Sadiqullah Khan was elected the first president and Col Mohammad Arif was appointed as the public officer.
The salient features of vision and ideology of PAAM are as under:
- Provide a dignified platform for all Pakistani Australians living in Melbourne/Victoria to socialise and know each other which will help to assimilate in the society.
- To encourage Pakistani youth to take a leading role in managing PAAM and ultimately provide a selfless and spirited leadership for Pakistani community in Australia.
- Inculcate a spirit of friendship, harmony and cooperation with all other Pakistani associations in Melbourne particularly and other communities in Australia in general for the welfare of the community.
- Expand and export the PAAM vision/ideology to a much wider spectrum in Melbourne/Victoria and ultimately all over Australia.
Pakistan Day Celebrations on 23rd March
It has been an established practice to celebrate Pakistan Independence Day on 14 August each year but no functions were held to 
celebrate Pakistan Day on 23 March. PAAM is the first organisation to highlight the importance of Pakistan Day by holding special functions. The first Pakistan Day function was held in 2008 and since then it has been a regular annual celebrations.
Australia Day Parade
Pakistan community had never participated in Australia Day Parade held on 26 January while other communities attended regularly. PAAM started taking part in Australia Day Parades to represent Pakistan. Asad Amin, a PAAM Foundation Member, organised to get a slot for Pakistani Contingent on 26 Jan 2007. Since then it has been a regular feature for PAAM to represent Pakistani community in Australia Day Parade.
Australian Federation of Pakistani Organisations (AFPO)
PAAM took practical measures to expand its Vision and Ideology as stated above by developing close friendly relations with other Pakistani Organisations. PAAM directed its Public Officer Mohammad Arif to get in touch with other like-minded Pakistani Associations to forge a common higher platform to promote cooperation and harmony among the Pakistani community in Melbourne. Consequently the Presidents of following Pakistani Associations held a meeting on Fri 10 Apr 2009 and decided to form Australian Federation of Pakistan Organisations (AFPO):
- Pakistan Australia Association Melbourne (PAAM)
- Pakistani Australian Christian Association (PACA)
- Australian Muslim Community Education Forum (AMCEF)
- Pakistani Students Association of Australia (PSAA) – joined AFPO on 26 Sep 2009.
PAAM has been taking part in Australia Day Parade representing Pakistani community since 2007. PAAM graciously offered the slot to AFPO since Australia Day on 26 Jan 2010. All four member organisations of AFPO jointly taking part in Australia Day Parade as one united Pakistani Contingent thereby sending out a very strong message about our unity, tolerance and respect for each other.
Pakistan Australia Council (PAC)
PAAM’s Vision and Ideology is to form a common, united, and higher platform for all Pakistanis living all over Australia thereby giving them a strong and powerful voice. The formation of AFPO was a very successful venture. Encouraged by this experiment PAAM directed its Public Officer Col Mohammad Arif to contact other Pakistani organisations in Australia and invite them to join AFPO. It took more than a year to achieve this colossal mission. The presidents of 13 Pakistani associations from all States and Territories of Australia finally agreed to hold a national conference in Canberra. The then High Commissioner of Pakistan Ms Fauzia Nasreen graciously offered to host the national conference which was held on 13 Nov 2010 at Pakistan House Canberra. All participants attending the National Conference decided to form a new national organisation which would be registered in Canberra representing Pakistani associations all over Australia. This new Umbrella organisation was named PAKISTAN AUSTRALIA COUNCIL (PAC). It is a great pride and honour for PAAM that its president Adam Khan Sadiqzai was unanimously elected the first president of PAC followed by Dr. M. Shahbaz Chaudhry.