The United States (US) chargé d’affaires to Pakistan Ambassador Richard Hoagland focused on Pakistani youth and culture during his three-day visit to the provincial capital of Lahore. Accompanied by US Consul General Nina Fite, Ambassador Hoagland visited cultural and historic sites and interacted with young Pakistanis and important figures in Punjab politics.
Ambassador Hoagland began his tour of Lahore with a visit to the Lahore Museum, where the museum director Humeira Alam briefed him about artefacts in the Jain and Gandhara galleries. He also visited the Quaid-i-Azam Library where he praised, not only its beautiful building but the vital role the library played in helping the men, women and children of Pakistan to educate themselves.
Although the chargé d’affaires had visited Lahore several times, this was his first visit to the two cultural sites. Ambassador Hoagland met Iqbal Hussain and enjoyed the view of Badshahi Mosque from the walled city.
In an effort to further strengthen ties with Pakistani youth, Ambassador Hoagland hosted a discussion with the youth of Lahore who were active on the social media.
He fielded questions on the U.S.-Pakistan relations and how the social media had impacted politics. He also asked the participants about the role of youth in the upcoming Pakistani elections. The lively discussion was featured on Twitter with the hash tag #PakYouthAmb.
During his three days in Lahore, Ambassador Hoagland also met with political party leaders and spoke with the media about US policy in Pakistan and the region. During the course of interviews, he highlighted the on-going cooperation between the two countries in exterminating terrorism from the region.
