Consul General Asim Ali Khan Lauds Community’s Successes at Sacramento Dinner
By Ras H. Siddiqui
The Consul General of Pakistan in Los Angeles, Asim Ali Khan visited the Sacramento, California area for the first time and held important meetings with the Pakistani community, in Loomis, at the residence of Engineer Maqsood Ali Kamboh and in Elk Grove at the Virsa Restaurant. Pakistan Link was able to catch up with him only at the Loomis dinner event on Thursday, May 16, 2024, where community leaders from Placer County, Sacramento, Yuba City and even San Francisco were present. Members of the area Sikh community were also welcomed here. The brunch event at Virsa in Elk Grove drew attendees mainly from the Stockton and Lodi area.
In the 32 years that this writer has been covering Consul visits in Northern California, this is possibly the first time that we have had a Pakistan Consul General in Los Angeles who also happens to have an engineering background, being an alumnus of UET-Lahore. It would be prudent to mention here that several UET alumni also made it to this Loomis dinner as the host Engineer Maqsood Ali is also a graduate of that esteemed university. And another pleasant surprise here was the presence of UET Professor Ziauddin Mian who it turns out is a very popular figure amongst his former students.
The formalities began with a recitation from the Holy Qur’an as event emcee Sanan Ali coordinated the scheduled program quite effectively. It was also an evening of optimism as the Pakistani Americans present were able to elaborate on their hard work and success in this land of opportunity. The focus was on business, how one could help the people and the economy in Pakistan, and on image building.
Host Engineer Maqsood started on a positive note and called on the community present to engage locally in all areas. He stressed that the affluence of our community needs to be converted to influence, and for that we need to actively engage with the mainstream community including in its politics. He mentioned his recent interaction with California Governor Gavin Newsom in which he mentioned the Sister State relationship between Pakistani Punjab and California formalized some time ago. Maqsood said that we need to build on that relationship.
Amongst the community leaders present, the first one to speak was Sohail Shahzad who was here along with Qumar Ashraf and a small team representing the Pakistani Community Members (PCM) of America. This is quite an active group which has been organizing the annual Pakistan Independence Day event in Sacramento for the past few years with great results. Theirs is the largest annual Pakistani event in the Sacramento region and Sohail announced that it will be held on August 17 this year. Last year around 4,000 people attended and this year plans are being made for an even bigger event at a larger venue, said Sohail. We unite for Pakistan, he added.
The second speaker was Dr Ehsan Hadi who has been instrumental in organizing the Pakistan Cultural Festival in Roseville. He was here along with Shafique Ahmed, another member of the team, who makes this wonderful festival and positive projection of Pakistan possible. The event is easily accessible for members of the non-Pakistani mainstream community as well. This year the festival is scheduled for June 8 th and the goal is to promote Pakistani culture, businesses, and cuisine, both within our community and in our adopted country, said Ehsan. June 8th should be a fun afternoon in Roseville!
Next up regional Punjabi American leader Gurjatinder Randhawa praised the past Consul General in Los Angeles for facilitating the visits of Sikhs to their holy sites in Pakistan and hoped that the same level of support would continue. Sharing his sentiments and experiences while visiting Pakistan, Randhawa highlighted the hospitality, friendship, and amazing welcome that he received from ordinary people there. It also appears that Punjabis, no matter which religion they may belong to, share a bond wherever they meet.
Tariq Chaudhry, representing the Pakistan Association of San Francisco Bay Area, spoke next. He said that the association is amongst the oldest around. It was established in 1974 and unfortunately some of its founders have passed away. That would make the association 50 this year! Tariq also shared that San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park and City Hall grounds had been the venues for the largest Pakistani events (up to 10,000 people) in Northern California in the past and that the organization will be trying a repeat of that feat soon.
As mentioned above, UET Professor Ziauddin Mian was very visible at this event and took the opportunity to speak. He stressed the need for Pakistani Americans to help and encourage the young people in Pakistan in the field of education and more, so that they can succeed and become more productive globally. He also stressed that things in Pakistan were not as bad as they are portrayed, and we should not be negative. There is a lot of young talent in Pakistan which can do wonders if given the opportunity.
Sister Durriya Syed was the next speaker. She focused on our community locally and invited everyone to another event also taking place on June 8 th (evening) organized by the Human Ummah Foundation with local community support. This program will recognize and appreciate our Roseville area first responders (Police & Fire Department) who keep us safe and save lives. On Pakistan, Sister Durriya said that one should stay positive and keep a candle lit in our hearts for our country of origin.
Ending the guest speeches before the keynote, young Fatemah Ali reflected on her Pakistan visits and the remarkably positive experiences she had while there. She praised Pakistan’s delicious food, rich culture, and the richness of the Urdu language. She described Pakistan as an unforgettable experience leaving a mark on your heart. Coming from a young American Pakistani this viewpoint carries a great deal of weight.
Consul General of Pakistan Asim Ali Khan next presented the evening keynote speech. He spoke in Urdu, thanked the host, and concentrated on two main points. The first being the running of the Pakistan Consulate in Los Angeles and its focus on providing good service to the Pakistani community in the Western United States. He also praised Pakistani Americans for being a source of pride for their home country. “We truly value all of you,” he said. “When you succeed here in America, you bring a good name to Pakistan.”
His second focus was on how Pakistan can be further assisted from the US. He said that the United States is of vital importance as a market for Pakistani goods and services and the $8 billion current trade has greater room for growth. The Consul General also mentioned five areas of cooperation that could greatly benefit Pakistan. They are Agriculture, Information Technology (IT), Energy Sector, Mines & Minerals, and Education. These are all areas where Pakistan could use some help. Economic benefits could follow.
To conclude, it was nice to see some of the Pakistani American organizational leaders from all over Northern California and Consul General Asim Ali Khan interacting here. A few individuals were presented certificates of appreciation by the Consul at this event too. The focus of the evening was on commerce and on projecting a positive image of Pakistan in America. Let us be positive and work on these goals.
