Ambassador Masood Khan discusses trade, people-to-people ties with Rep Melanie Stansbury during his New Mexico visit
Ambassador Khan Discusses Trade, People-to-People Ties with Rep Melanie Stansbury
By Elaine Pasquini
Washington: During his recent three-day visit to New Mexico, Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, held talks with US Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury on September 3, 2023. Stansbury, a Democrat, has represented New Mexico’s first congressional district, which includes Albuquerque and most of its suburbs, since 2021.
The Ambassador discussed water resource management with the Congresswoman, who has extensive experience in this important area, which is also a major priority for Pakistan.
“Pakistan is grappling with the challenges of erratic climate change including the issue of water resource management which is critical to meet the requirements of the population, especially the agriculture sector of the country, which serves as the backbone of our economy,” Ambassador Khan said. “No single country can singlehandedly deal with these multifaceted challenges and, therefore, we look forward to even greater cooperation from the United States in tackling these issues.”
“The recently held high-level Pak-US dialogue on climate change and the ‘Green Alliance’ initiative are positive developments,” he continued. “This momentum needs to be maintained and further strengthened.”
During the meeting, Ambassador Khan highlighted that the recent momentum in Pak-US relations has resulted in high-level dialogues in the critical areas of climate change, renewable energy, health, trade, investment, anti-narcotics, security, defense, and counterterrorism.
“Enhanced trade and investment and promoting people-to-people ties drives the Pak-US relationship,” he observed.
He added that Pakistan and New Mexico could forge a mutual beneficial partnership in extractive industry, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and tech start-ups.
Warmly welcoming Ambassador Khan on this first ever visit of a Pakistani ambassador to New Mexico, Representative Stansbury noted the presence and important role being played by the Pakistani community in the socio-economic life of New Mexico.
“We consider the Pakistani community here in New Mexico as a part of the fabric of our culture,” Stansbury said.
Ambassador Khan thanked Congresswoman Stansbury for her continued support of the Pakistani diaspora in New Mexico, especially during the murder case of Muhammad Afzal Hussain, originally from Pakistan.
“We are deeply indebted to you for your steadfast support to the community and to the family of the late Muhammad Afzal Hussain,” he told the Congresswoman. “It had helped restore the confidence of the diaspora after the tragic incident.”
Stansbury expressed her deep condolences and sympathies over the tragic incident of the killing of Muhammad Afzal Hussain, calling the late 27-year-old University of New Mexico graduate who had been serving as the city of Española’s planning and land use director “an extraordinary man.”
“I don’t know if I have recovered from it myself. It was a challenging time, and it was definitely a great loss,” she said, recalling Hussain’s contributions towards her campaign and also his contributions towards the communities.
Ambassador Khan expressed his appreciation for the commitment of New Mexico’s top leadership for providing an enabling environment to minorities in New Mexico to integrate themselves into the mainstream.
Rep Stansbury fully endorsed Ambassador Khan’s proposal to establish a sister-province relationship with New Mexico and also enthusiastically accepted his kind invitation to visit Pakistan.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
