Ambassador Sheikh Keeps Pakistan on Forefront for Next Year’s Congress
By Elaine Pasquini
Washington: Prior to US lawmakers heading back to their districts for the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, continued actively engaging with legislative representatives.
The Pakistani envoy engaged in an optimistic discussion with Rep Brian Mast (R-FL) who takes over chairmanship of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from former chairman Rep Michael McCaul (R-TX) on January 3, 2025.
The two explored strengthening bilateral ties through deeper economic engagement, in addition to prospects and avenues of furthering Pakistan and US cooperation and partnership in the evolving global scenario.
“Cooperation is the best way forward,” said Mast, a decorated US Army veteran who lost both his legs while serving as an explosive ordnance disposal technician in Afghanistan in 2010.
In a Capitol Hill meeting with Rep Jim Baird (R-IN) the ambassador and congressman exchanged views on enhancing interaction in trade, investment, defense, security, and counterterrorism. They agreed to continue engagement geared to diversifying longstanding bilateral ties between the longtime allies.
Ambassador Sheikh enjoyed conferring with Rep Maxine Waters (D-CA), a ranking member of the House Financial Services Committee. Recognizing the congresswoman as a great friend of Pakistan, Sheikh expressed the importance of augmenting their special bilateral ties and deepening exposure and linkages between the United States and Pakistan in the areas of trade, investment, financial services, defense, security, and people-to-people contacts.
In their meeting, Rep Beth Van Duyne (R-TX) and the ambassador focused on bilateral relations, and he assured her that Pakistan is committed to working with the new Congress towards a mutually rewarding bilateral relationship.
In addition, Ambassador Sheikh conversed with other legislators, including Rep John Rutherford (R-FL), Rep Randy Weber (R-TX), Rep Sylvia Garcia (D-TX), Rep Bill Foster (D-IL), Rep Glenn Ivey (D-MD) and Rep David Schweikert (R-AZ), on all of these issues with a special focus on the importance of maintaining close relations between Pakistan and the new Congress which convenes in January.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
