Consul General Asim Ali Khan brings with him a wealth of
experience in a variety of areas, including core diplomatic skills
New CG Applauds Community, Promises Full Support
A Pakistan Link Report
Mr Asim Ali Khan recently took over as Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles. A career diplomat and member of the coveted Foreign Service of Pakistan – he belongs to the 2003 batch – he brings with him a wealth of experience in a variety of areas, including core diplomatic skills. During the last two decades, he has held important assignments in China, the United States, Canada, and France. He was posted as Director General at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad for three years. Earlier, he served as Director in the President’s Secretariat in Islamabad and held several important positions with distinction.
Mr Khan has vast experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy. He has been dealing with diverse and complex foreign policy, economic diplomacy, security, consular, administrative, and community-related issues during his distinguished career.
Mr Khan has a master’s degree in International Relations and a bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering with honors from Pakistan. He is married with three children.
Below are excerpts from an interview with Consul General Khan.
Pakistan Link: What are your top priorities as the new Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles and how do you plan to achieve them?
Consul General Khan: I feel Los Angeles is a great place to promote bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States and to serve the Pakistani community residing in our jurisdiction. One of my top priorities would be to further strengthen this relationship by working closely with the Pakistani-American community. Pakistan is a great country with a bright future and economic potential. I would like to dedicate my efforts to the promotion of trade and investment relations between the two countries.
I would like to work closely with all partners to promote Pakistan’s image as a democratic, progressive, moderate, and forward-looking country. Over the years the Consulate General has greatly improved the consular services and I would like to maintain the high standard of our services so that our community can get maximum facilitation.
Pakistan Link: How do you plan to engage with the Pakistani community in your jurisdiction, and what measures do you intend to take to strengthen ties between the Pakistani diaspora and the Consulate General?
Consul General Khan: Before arriving in Los Angeles, I had heard a lot of good things about the Pakistani-American community on the West Coast. As you know I earlier served in Washington DC during 2014-17 and have been dealing with the community in that area. Based on my experience I can say that Pakistani-Americans are a great source of strength for Pakistan and act as a bridge between the two countries. Since I took up my current assignment, I have started meeting different community organizations and would like to enhance the Consulate’s outreach to other states in our jurisdiction. I wish this engagement to be result-oriented and productive to serve the interests of the community, Pakistan, and our bilateral relations. There are many ideas as how to go about on this front. Different community organizations are working in different areas, and they are all doing important work. They will have the full support of the Consulate to achieve our shared goals.
Pakistan Link: Do you see a role for the diaspora in the economic development of Pakistan?
Consul General Khan: As I said earlier, the diaspora is very important for Pakistan. The Pakistani-American community is peace-loving, patriotic, enterprising and law-abiding. They are a strong bridge between Pakistan and the United States and are contributing to the economic development of this country.
I am a firm believer that our community has great potential to substantially contribute to the economic development of Pakistan by way of remittances, promotion of trade and investment relations between the two countries, and in dispelling negative impressions in the public domain and among influential circles here. We are grateful to the community for their positive contributions in the past and would like them to play a more proactive role in the future.
Pakistan Link: What are some of the current challenges facing the Pakistani community in the Western United States and how is the Consulate addressing them?
Consul General Khan: ThePakistani community in the United States is known for good reasons and is viewed respectfully. Their contributions are appreciated and fully recognized at the highest level. I think the challenges being faced by the community fall mostly in the social and political domain. These challenges can be overcome through concerted and consistent efforts in the right direction. For instance, one important area where the community needs to focus is the need for political participation and employment in important institutions at different levels. This will not only enhance their sense of belonging to this country, it would also increase the prospects and avenues for their growth in a competitive environment.
Pakistan Link: What is the current state of bilateral relations between Pakistan and the United States, and how do you see these relations developing in the coming years?
Consul General Khan: Pakistan and the United States enjoy close and friendly relations. This relationship is longstanding and Pakistan attaches great importance to it. Both countries are currently engaged in enhancing their cooperation in many areas. We are optimistic that our bilateral cooperation would continue to strengthen and deepen in future for the realization of our shared interests. Since it is a broad-based relationship, our efforts would be focused on catalyzing different areas of cooperation and partnerships.
Pakistan Link: What measures will the Consulate General take to assist Pakistanis living in the Western United States?
Consul General Khan: As I mentioned earlier, the Consulate General is committed to maintaining high standards of public service delivery. Besides, we plan to continue our engagement with the Pakistani-American community to provide them complete facilitation, promote unity and harmony, enhance national and cultural pride, promote Pakistan’s soft and positive image, and develop partnership with community organizations working in different domains. An important aspect of our engagement would be to strengthen relations with other communities and promote friendship and goodwill with them.
In addition to the consular services the Consulate General acts as a representative office of Pakistan in Los Angeles. We greatly value the patriotism and commitment of our community and would fully support their initiatives and ongoing work for the welfare of the community. We will also facilitate resolution of their issues back home.
Pakistan Link: How do you plan to support Pakistani businesses in the Western United States, and what are the main challenges facing Pakistani entrepreneurs in this region?
Consul General Khan: It is very encouraging for us to see growth in Pakistan’s trade relations with the United States. We would continue our efforts to further promote bilateral trade and investment relations. I think there is a lot of potential of further increasing trade and investment cooperation between the two sides. The Consulate General would be working closely with Pakistan’s business community to facilitate them and play an active role to provide all possible assistance.
On February 23, 2023, the United States and Pakistan concluded the ninth meeting under the US – Pakistan Trade and Investment Framework (TIFA). Both sides expressed their intent to enhance engagement on market access and the reduction of barriers for additional agricultural products.
Pakistan Link: What steps can be taken to add to the number of medical doctors and higher education enthusiasts migrating to the US?
Consul General Khan: You are aware of the fact that migration is a personal choice of individuals who wish to seek better economic opportunities. The good thing is that both countries – Pakistan and the United States - have a dual nationality arrangement, which provides a strong connection to the Pakistani-American community in many ways.
As regards those Pakistanis who are seeking higher studies in the United States, we encourage them to pursue their dreams and ambitions with greater zest and vigor. The United States with its top-notch universities offers the world’s best education and research facilities to students. Pakistani students who can avail these opportunities can work for the betterment of both countries. Our doors are open for Pakistani students who are pursuing their education in our jurisdiction. We fully support them and are available for any assistance they may need from the Consulate General.
Pakistan Link: How will the Consulate General collaborate with other Pakistani diplomatic missions in the United States and other countries to achieve its goals and promote Pakistan's interests globally?
Consul General Khan: We have good relations with other Consulates in Los Angeles and our engagement with them is aimed at promoting our shared interests in this part of the world.
Pakistan Link: What plans do you have to promote tourism in Pakistan and showcase the country’s cultural heritage and natural beauty to the world?
Consul General Khan: This is a very important area. I personally believe there is great potential for promoting Pakistan tourism in the United States. It offers untold tourist attractions. We will promote and highlight what Pakistan offers in terms of scenic beauty, idyllic surroundings, cultural heritage, hospitality, adventure tourism, religious tourism and participation in various cultural and sports activities.
As you know the domestic tourism within Pakistan has increased manifold over the last few years, which has catalyzed tourism from outside Pakistan.
The Consulate General provides complete facilitation to visa applicants through Pakistan’s Online Visa System. It is also using social media and other communication platforms to promote and highlight Pakistan’s tourism potential. However, I believe that we can do more to attract more tourists to our beautiful country, which has a rich and beautiful mosaic of different cultures and beauty in diversity.
Pakistan Link: What measures do you plan to take to promote cultural and economic ties between Pakistan and the United States, and to showcase the rich heritage and potential of Pakistan to the American public?
Consul General Khan: Pakistan and the United States have longstanding cooperation in a broad range of areas. Our economic cooperation has contributed to Pakistan’s socio-economic development for which we are grateful to the United States.
Both countries also have a lot of cultural similarities and bonds of friendship. The United States is home to over a million Pakistani diaspora who share a common cultural heritage including strong family traditions. We cherish our rich and proud cultural traditions, which emanate from thousands of years old civilizational heritage, a peaceful and universal religion, strong family values, brotherhood and patriotism. I think there are a lot of shared values that create natural harmony between our two cultures. This is something our community represents and I would be a strong supporter of strengthening cultural bonds with the American people.
Pakistan Link: What inspired you to pursue a career in the diplomatic service, and what advice would you give to young Pakistanis who are interested in pursuing a career in the diplomatic service? How can they best prepare themselves for such a career?
Consul General Khan: I joined the Foreign Service of Pakistan two decades ago and was inspired by the place Pakistan has in the comity of nations and its relationship with other nations. I wanted to play my due role in strengthening friendships and partnerships in pursuance of our national objectives. I believe that Pakistan is a very important country in the comityof nations and the diplomatic profession provides you a great opportunity to promote the country’s image and interests around the globe. I set out with this ambition and have been honored and blessed to have the opportunity of keeping Pakistan’s flag high wherever I have served.
Those who intend to pursue this career would find boundless opportunities to serve the country. What you need is passion, patriotism, and willingness to accept challenges for the country you love. It is a lifetime commitment, and I am grateful to Allah Almighty that I am contributing my share to promote and protect Pakistan’s interests abroad.
Pakistan Link: How can the Pakistani diaspora in the United States support the efforts of the Consulate General, and what can they do to help promote Pakistan's interests and enhance its image in the US and the world?
Consul General Khan: The Consulate General accords great importance to the Pakistani community in the United States and is committed to serve them and work closely with them. They are a dynamic, peaceful, patriotic and enterprising community that we are duly proud of. I think most of them being dual nationals have dual obligations to serve both countries. The community can work to promote people-to-people contacts, help support pursuance of bilateral trade and investment cooperation, promote tourism and project the country’s positive image in the United States. Maintaining unity and harmony among themselves and hard work will earn our community more respect for themselves and for the country.
Pakistan Link: Finally, what message would you like to convey to the Pakistani community in the Western United States and the US?
Consul General Khan: My message to the community is very clear and simple. This Consulate General is here because of you, and it is here to work with you, and serve you. Our doors are open to all Pakistani-Americans and they should have pride and confidence in themselves and their country of origin. We will fully support them to pursue our shared goals of enhancing the country’s prestige and dignity. As Consul General, I am accessible to the community for any possible facilitation and assistance in our area of work.
I am honored and delighted to be in a place where Pakistani Americans have earned a very good name for their country of origin and my support would always be forthcoming for them. I would request the community to promote harmony and unity and work together.
