WASHINGTON: The Pa
kistan Embassy in Washington a
nnounced the launch of a project called Experience Pa
kistan in the United States to engage Pa
kistani-Ameri
can youth as well as Pa
kistani professional and community organisations to realize the potential of overseas Pa
kistanis.
Under the project, the Embassy of Pa
kistan would arrange group v
isits of Pa
kistani-Ameri
can youth to Pa
kistan at frequent intervals. The participants of the programme would be provided unique opportunities to experience various dimensions of rising and modernizing Pa
kistan in its cultural and historical perspectives. In a letter sent to members of the Pa
kistani diaspora in the US, Ambassador Jalil Abbas Jilani asked the community to join the programme and encouraged young Pa
kistani Americans to avail themselves of this unique opportunity to visit and experience Pa
kistan for themselves.
“This will be a major public diplomacy initiative, aimed specifically to engage with Pa
kistani-Ameri
can youth,” he wrote in the letter. He said that Pa
kistan’s potential to achieve optimal and sustainable growth is hampered by incorrect narratives and a distorted image shaped over time. The negat
ive external influences have had a direct impact on the nature and scalability of available development channels.
It is, therefore, a priority of government of Pa
kistan to ensure that the country’s strengths and full potential are harnessed, he added. The project is initiated by the Ministry of Planning and development and reform, in light of Pa
kistan Vision 2025. The “Know your roots” project aims to proactively engage the young Pa
kistani Diaspora all over the world, as well as Pa
kistani professional and community organizations. The project aims at connecting young Pa
kistani-Americans to Pa
kistan.
The Pa
kistani-Ameri
can youth would be able to visit various cities in Pa
kistan and interact with senior government representatives and other important institutions. The project will be financed through sponsors and participants will be required to pay a registration fee. In the first phase of the Project, 50 participants will be divided into five groups and their v
isits would be sponsored through the embassy.
All Participants must be of Pa
kistan-origin, should fall in the age group of 18-26 years and must have finished at least high school education by the time their trip to Pa
kistan commences. The participants would be required to offer their input on how we can jointly improve cooperation between Pa
kistan and the United States. They would be asked to identify channels through which they can contribute for the betterment of Pa
kistan.
Their inputs in the form of ideas on how Pa
kistan’s national policies on the issues of national importance could be improved would be welcomed. Following the visit, they would be expected to project a better and positive image of Pa
kistan by becoming brand ambassadors of Pa
kistan. The groups under the Project would form an Alumni Network which the future batches could be engaged to further the mission.