Envoy thanks US lawmakers for thwarting anti-Pakistan move

• Ambassador Khan meets a number of US lawmakers.
• He emphasises fostering relationships in various areas.
  
• “We appreciate your intercession and counsel," he adds.
  

The Pakistani ambassador recently met with a delegation of US lawmakers who, during their meetings, reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing Pak-US connections by extending present collaboration in various sectors, such as trade, investment, renewable energy, climate change, and regional security.

During his official trip to the US last week, Ambassador Masood Khan met with Senator Bill Hagerty, Senator Jon Ossoff, Representative Jim Banks, Co-Chair Pakistan Congressional Caucus, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, and Ranking Member House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and Representative Jason Crow.

A statement released by Pakistan’s embassy here revealed that the ambassador also wrote “letters to scores of US lawmakers thanking them for their resolute support during the recent vote in the House that rejected a proposed amendment to prohibit assistance to Pakistan under the State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations (SFOPS) Act 2024”.

“We appreciate your intercession and counsel that ensured that the vote against the amendment enjoyed bi-partisan support,” wrote the ambassador in his letter according to the embassy statement.

The statement also revealed that the ambassador said: “The assistance earmarked under SFOPS would go to critical areas of cooperation including economic support, counter-narcotics, counter-terrorism, military education training, and health programs.”

With an emphasis on fostering relationships in commerce and investment, energy, and counterterrorism, as well as the regional situation, the ambassador highlighted measures to further develop Pak-US relations during his discussions.

Masood Khan also met Ranking Member House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur and discussed Pak-US cooperation in defence, science and technology, education, renewable energy, climate change, and people-to-people linkages, the embassy statement said.

Representative Jason Crow in his post on X, formerly Twitter, said that strengthening cooperation on regional security, Afghanistan, and economic development was discussed during the meeting.

Separately, the ambassador also thanked US Congressman Mike McCaul, Chairman House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Chairperson Congressional Pakistan Caucus, Congressman Dean Phillips (D-Minnesota), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-California), Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (D-Washington), Congresswoman Melanie Stansbury (D-New Mexico), and Congressman Lance Gooden (R-Texas) for their strong support to Pakistan in foiling a move aimed at prohibiting assistance to Pakistan under the SFOPS Act 2024.