WASHINGTON: In his first public appearance on Saturday night, Pakistan’s new US ambassador Ali Jahangir Siddiqui urged all members of the Pakistani community living in the United States to participate in the country’s revival and re-emergence.

Mr Siddiqui, who presented his credentials to US President Donald Trump on Friday, said he was aware of the current status of the US-Pakistan relationship but he did not believe in conducting diplomacy through the media.

“Everyone needs to participate in Pakistan’s revival and re-emergence and we are well on our way towards it,” said Mr Siddiqui while telling the audience how a Latin American country, Colombia, faced the same challenges that Pakistan does but overcame them to become the region’s fourth largest economy.

Mr Siddiqui urged the Pakistani community to play its role in rebuilding Pakistan, instead of wasting their time in negative talk about their homeland.

“Work with us in order to get Pakistan back to where it once was,” he said, explaining how Pakistan was once seen as a strong emerging economy.

Sajid Tarar, a Republican politician of Pakistani origin who hosted the event, assured the ambassador of the community’s support in rebuilding the US-Pakistan relationship.

“The relationship is passing through a bad patch but if we work hard, we can put it back on the right track,” Mr Tarar said.

Mr Siddiqui was named the ambassador to the US on May 8, reached Washington on May 29, and presented his credentials on June 22.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2018