Ali Siddiqui reaches out to diaspora to strengthen Pak-US ties

WASHINGTON: Pakistan's ambassador to the US Ali Jahangir Siddiqui has reached out to the diaspora to help him strengthen relations between the two countries which are going through a bad patch.

In his first official letter to the influential community members, the ambassador vowed to accomplish great things with their help. Siddiqui said he believed that there was "a lot of promise and potential in the Pakistan-US relations."

Laying out his priorities, the ambassador said he had taken the "challenging responsibility with full confidence that we can accomplish great things together." "In the discharge of my duties, I will be relying on the Pakistani American community to add strength to my arms and to guide me through this effort," Ambassador Siddiqui said in the letter adding, "The Pakistani American diaspora has assumed significance and influence within the US mainstream. Our youth is active and well-educated, and they provide reason for great optimism for the future."

Ambassador Siddiqui joined the post late last month. He's yet to present his credentials to President Trump.

He has replaced Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, who had also motivated the community across the country to engage in American politics and highlight Pakistan's soft image. In his last comments, before leaving the ambassadorship, he had advised ambassador Siddiqui to continue with the momentum he had set, and keep communicating with the community, think-tanks and academia. "I would also ask him to hold Youth Convention that we had started. They understand the political system and can help spread Pakistan's message," he had said.