- Texas House of Representatives adopted two landmark resolutions recognizing 23rd March 2023 as ‘Pakistan Day’ and 20th March 2023 as ‘Pakistan Day of Action at the State Capitol’.
Islamabad: Pakistani American community would present a resolution at the US House of Representatives today [Wednesday] to express support for designation of March 23, 2023, as ‘‘Pakistan Day”, Radio Pakistan reported on Wednesday.
In a statement issued by American Pakistani Advocacy Group, the president of the group Ali Rashid said that US Congressmember Jamaal Bowman would be joined by the members of the Pakistani American community to present a resolution.
He said that the Pakistani American community always wanted to uplift and honor the principles of democracy, freedom, and hard work, characteristics that make us unconditionally American. He said that this is a day of immense celebration and joy, adding that we are beginning to change the conversation in regard to what it means to be a Pakistani American.
He said that Jamaal Bowman noted the cultural diversity and strength of the nearly 800,000 Pakistani Americans in the United States of America in support of the Pakistan Day.
In a statement, Congressmember Jamaal Bowman said that he is proud to recognize and celebrate the dynamic and rich contributions of Pakistani Americans. The United States is stronger because of the distinct contributions of groups that made this country home while also expressing and allowing them to share in their culture and history.
He said the American Pakistani Advocacy Group continued to ensure elected leaders hear from their Pakistani constituents in order to celebrate and understand the immense contributions and beauty of Pakistani-American culture.
According to another report of Radio Pakistan, in the United States, Texas House of Representatives adopted two landmark resolutions recognizing 23rd March 2023 as ‘Pakistan Day’ and 20th March 2023 as ‘Pakistan Day of Action at the State Capitol’.
The historic resolutions were introduced by two prominent Texan representatives of Pakistani descent Suleman Lalani and Salman Bhojani with the support of the American lawmakers.
Texas is the second largest state of the U.S. both in area as well as population.
Resolution 581 of the Texas Assembly introduced by Representative Suleman Lalani and adopted by the House on 20 March 2023 stated that Pakistan Day “provides the opportunity to recognize the societal, religious, linguistic, and economic contributions of the people and families who have immigrated to Texas from Pakistan.”
It further stated that the success of Texas has been bolstered by Pakistanis and Pakistani-Texans through their professional work, cultural background, and values of peace and prosperity. “Today, the State of Texas joins Pakistanis in celebrating Pakistan Day and in promoting diversity, inclusion, education, and the appreciation of Pakistani culture and the Pakistani community residing in our state.”
Resolution 600, introduced by Representative Salman Bhojani, recognizes Pakistan Day of Action at the State Capitol on 20th March and highlights close cooperative relationship between Pakistan and Texas in a range of mutually beneficial fields including trade, energy, education and cultural exchanges.
Appreciating rich human potential of the country, especially its youth cohort, the Resolution states that “Texas businesses can utilize the country’s highly skilled young professionals to advance the state’s economy, particularly in the information technology and biotech industries.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United Sates Masood Khan, during a telephonic conversation with Representative Lalani, said the two lawmakers had made Pakistan proud and done a great service to strengthen Pak-US relations. He said the two resolutions would provide momentum to the efforts to promote people to people ties between Texas and Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Representative Suleman Lalani briefed him about the resolutions and the efforts being made to project soft power of the country. He said that by projecting our true image, norms and values, we are endeavoring to bridge the gap between the communities and countries.
Ambassador Khan appreciated the efforts being made to strengthen the existing relationship and encouraged Representative Lalani and his peers to visit Pakistan along with entrepreneurs and academics to introduce them to real Pakistan.
It may be mentioned here that that Pakistan Day is a national holiday in Pakistan, commemorating the Lahore Resolution passed on March 23, 1940, and the adoption of the first Constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on March 23, 1956, making it the world’s first Islamic republic.
Pakistan Day provides an excellent means by which all residents of the United States can learn more about the rich Pakistani heritage, while fostering an appreciation for this great culture among future generations
