Dateline report
WASHINGTON, A day-long conference of Pakistan’s Consuls General in New York, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles — presided over by Ambassador Rizwan Saeed Sheikh — concluded Sunday after deciding to actively engage with the community, improve service delivery, and promote people-to-people ties with the U.S., especially by boosting business linkages.“The Pakistani community is our biggest asset; It’s the most enduring link in Pak-US relations,” Ambassador Sheikh told the conference, as he called for stepped up efforts to resolve their issues.“We must accelerate efforts to organize our community, especially professional organizations, so that they can play a greater role in their respective areas of operation”, he added.Trade and commercial officers at the respective Consulates were also present.According to a press release of Pakistani embassy, the Consuls General apprised the Ambassador of the services being rendered to the community in their jurisdictions including visas, passports, and other consular services. The meeting discussed various problems faced by the applicants and decided to approach relevant federal and provincial government departments to find their solutions.The meeting also explored the possibility of extending biometric verification facilities for land transfers, vehicle sales, and bank account verifications, the press release said.In his remarks, the Ambassador also highlighted new initiatives taken by the government to ease the visa regime, especially for businesses and tourism, and stressed the need to create maximum awareness about them.Trade Officers provided briefings on ongoing efforts to promote bilateral trade, detailing steps taken to introduce Pakistani products and connect businesses with potential partners in the United States. Ambassador Sheikh emphasized the necessity of attracting investment in priority areas, particularly in self-sustaining businesses that have the potential to create job opportunities for the youth.Ambassador Sheikh stressed that the specific trade requirements of each U.S. state should be explored, with the goal of connecting each sector with its counterparts in Pakistan.He noted that existing sister-state and sister-city agreements provided good models not only to strengthen economic interactions but also to establish similar linkages with other U.S. states for mutual benefit.He also pointed out that Pakistan’s tech-savvy youth were well-positioned to provide IT solutions to companies across the United States at much more affordable rates. Similarly, Pakistan could also help meet the demand for pharmacists and nurses in the United States, he added.The meeting also discussed Pak-US cooperation in the education sector and ongoing efforts to strengthen existing collaboration.
