ISLAMABAD: Over 400 members of the Pakistani American community belonging to different walks of life in the United States (US) converged in Washington to attend the ‘Pakistani American Community and Youth Convention’.
The convention was held under the theme ‘Connecting the Dots’ and was hosted by the Embassy of Pakistan in the US which brought together accomplished Pakistani American entrepreneurs, academics, artists and public officials to share their ideas and experiences.
Welcoming the participants to the convention, Pakistan’s Ambassador to US Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry lauded the role of the Pakistani American community in bringing the two countries together by forging strong people-to-people relations.
He hoped that young Pakistani Americans would continue to enrich various facets of the American society and life by excelling in their professional fields.
Ambassador Chaudhry stressed that the expatriate community was the key to enhancing mutual goodwill and understanding between Pakistan and US.
The daylong convention was divided into panel discussions and presentations, which were punctuated by cultural and musical performances that showcased the diversity of Pakistan’s rich heritage.
The six-panel discussions were focused on youth engagement, the role of women, voices in academia and think tanks, civic engagement, harmony through art and literature, and entrepreneurship. Each panel comprised of distinguished Pakistani Americans.
US State Department’s Martha Patterson said on the occasion that Pakistan and the United States have been partners for over 70 years. She said, “Building on and improving this historic partnership is critical to the two countries”.
She also said that two-way trade between the two countries reached $ 6.4 billion in 2017, an all-time high. Officials from the US State Department and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also made a presentation on the ongoing cooperation in various areas between Pakistan and US.
Pakistan’s consuls general in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston were also present and participated in an interactive session on the provision of consular services to the Pakistani American communities in their areas of jurisdiction.
The convention concluded with the national anthem of Pakistan that was sung by the participants in unison.
