Underscoring the serious economic and security challenges facing Pakistan, the visiting Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Senator Babar Awan, has urged Pakistani-Americans to create a strong lobbying group capable of influencing public opinion as well as the policies of US administration.
"It's a proposal whose time has come," Awan told a gathering of Pakistani businessmen, professionals, bankers and diplomats at a luncheon hosted by Mohsin Razi, consul general of Pakistan, on Wednesday. Praising Pakistani community's contribution towards the cause of Pakistan, he said that time had come to broaden those efforts as their homeland faces a number of threats.
A strategy was needed to counter any negative depiction of Pakistan. This could be done by approaching relevant authorities and media outlets. In this regard, Awan invited proposals from the participants for establishing a mechanism that would work to improve the image of the country.
The democratic government, he said, was squarely facing the serious challenges facing the country and had chartered out a course that would take the country forward. "We have set the country on the right path," the minister added. In Pakistan today, Awan said that parliament was supreme, judiciary was independent and media and opposition were in a watchdogs role to hold the government accountable for its actions.
This, he added, had laid the foundation for a democratic polity necessary for resolving the economic and social issues facing the common man and challenges confronting the country. Dr Awan said that Pakistan wants peaceful relations with its neighbours to ensure stability in the region. About relations with India, he expressed hope that the composite dialogue process would resume soon and that the core issue of Kashmir will be resolved so that the two nations could move forward.
The government had taken action against the militants, who had challenged the writ of the government as well as the country's constitutional. The operation against the militants was bound to succeed as the government and the Army enjoyed the overwhelming support of the people.
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