The Pakistani American Congress held its annual seminar in the Golden Room at the US Capitol in Washington D.C.
PAC leadership says the organization has been working to promote US-PAK relations and enhance people-to-people contacts for the last three decades.
The seminar offered a perfect platform to elected leaders, senior officials, members of academia and think tanks from the two countries to discuss the current state of bilateral relations. Sardar Masood Khan, president of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, was the chief guest at the seminar which was addressed among others by Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, US Congressman Mike Coffman, US Congressman Donald Norcross, US Congressman Tom Suozzi, Dr. Amarjeet Singh of International Khalistan Movement), Courtenay Dunn from the US State Department, Dr. Marvin Weinbaum from the Middle East Institute, Thomas P. McDevitt from Washington Times; N. Shoaib Yahya, an Entrepreneur; Zulfiqar Kazmi, former member of Pakistan’s National Assembly J. Salik, clergy leader Reverend Tom Resse and analyst Tom Hollohen. Many important members of Pakistani and Kashmiri diaspora, including Dr. Ghulam Nabbi Fai and Mansoor R. Qurashi, also attended.
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AJ&K President Masood Khan in his address invited the world to pay attention to the Indian Army’s atrocities and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir. The members of US Congress praised the positive contribution of Pakistani Americans to the American life and principally agreed to commence dialogue between US and Pakistan to defuse the existing misunderstandings.
Ambassador Aizaz Ahmad Choudhary gave a very eloquent view of Pakistan’s positive contributions to dispense peace in the region and also mentioned its sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. He also explained the misgivings related to the behavior against minorities and identified the steps taken by the Pakistani government to address the recent US concerns and the necessity of opening dialogue between two countries to improve the strained relations.
Dr. Marvin stressed the need for removing misunderstandings between the US and Pakistan and restoring harmony between the two traditional allies.
Dr. Amarjeet Singh underlined Pakistan’s geostrategic position and its present and future role to liberate the occupied territories in the region.