Matrix Report
Before his grand address at the Capital One Arena and warm welcome at the White House by the US President Donald Trump, many anticipated that the PM Imran Khan’s US visit was nothing more than a ‘formality’. However, the PM’s three day stay in Washington D.C. did not only create positive perceptions towards Pakistan, but also generated a feeling of ‘hope’ among many Pakistani-Americans. This is what Tariq Qureshi, a Pakistani-American, had to say about PM Khan’s US visit:
I am going to write as a Pakistani. This is what I have to say about Imran Khan’s US visit:
*In the last 4 days, starting with the Gathering (or Jalsa) in Washington D.C. at the Arena One, and with around 20-30000 Pakistanis, magic hit us – the Pakistani-Americans – when the PM arrived on stage and started his address.
*The next morning, while our countrymen were joking about the PM traveling on a commercial Qatar Airways flight and no one receiving him, magic struck again at the White House. Donald Trump received the Prime Minister – who was wearing traditional Shalwar Kameez and Peshawari Chapal – with zeal and enthusiasm. However, the highlight of it all was the 40-minute media conference that created a controversy in India when Trump announced that PM Modi had also asked him to ‘mediate on Kashmir’.
*While we were still trying to overcome these magical effects, the Prime Minister was presenting at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). At the USIP, he confidently spoke on the future of peace in Afghanistan and Middle East in General. His closing sentence all that is needed is mutual trust and respect provided the icing on the cake for his USIP speech.
*Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bajwa was also visiting the Pentagon at the same time and was presented with a 21-gun salute. The COAS went to Arlington Cemetery where 70,000 Pakistani sacrifices in the war on terror were also acknowledged.
*At the same time, the Pakistani Prime Minister was on the Capitol Hill, meeting US Congress members. Even there, the PM talked about how Pakistan was the most misunderstood nation fighting USA’s War on terror; a war that was not Pakistan’s in the first place, and yet, Pakistan lost 70,000 people. He emphasised on the fact that his country wanted a future relationship built on equality and trust.
*President Trump talked of mutual trade, exchanges in education, healthcare and other areas. The US-Pakistani businessmen also met the Prime Minister.
Finally, while the Prime Minister travels back, we the Pakistani-Americans are praying for him for reactivating our pride in our homeland.
