PAKPAC has started a
new section on its
website for
blogging. This will
help us understand
better what are the
community needs,
issues and opinions.
Read current blogs.
PAKPAC would like
for you to
participate in these
blogs, to submit a
blog send it to Myra
at
myrachaudhary@gmail.com
PAKPAC NEEDS YOUR
SUPPORT:
PAKPAC request
our supporters and all
the Pakistani American
Community Members to
help us in carrying out
our much needed work. NO
community has been able
to be a strong political
voice without the STRONG
financial support from
all of the people. As we
continue to be a voice
on the Hill with a
capacity to make a
meaningful change in
specific targeted
political races, a voice
to share concerns first
hand with the
administrative branch of
our government and
further strengthen our
presence and
effectiveness by
capacity building of our
community at the grass
root levels, we ask you
to join in and support
your present and your
future by making you
political contribution
to PAKPAC.
You can help PAKPAC activities by visiting
the link below
President
Barack Obama
offered to look at
new ways to help
Pakistan's troubled
economy as he showed
support for
President Asif Ali
Zardari at a White
House meeting,
officials said.
Zardari
held a closed-door
meeting with Obama
after flying into
Washington for a
memorial service for
Richard Holbrooke,
the late US envoy
for Pakistan and
Afghanistan which
has been a top
priority for the US
administration.
Obama
"underscored the
importance of the
US-Pakistan
relationship and our
continued support
for Pakistan," the
White House said in
a statement.
"The
discussion focused
on our shared
efforts to fight
terrorism and
promote regional
stability,
specifically on the
importance of
cooperating toward a
peaceful and stable
outcome in
Afghanistan," it
said.
In the
talks with Obama and
Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton,
Zardari also
explained the "needs
and requirements"
for Pakistan's
fragile economy,
said Husain Haqqani,
the Pakistani
ambassador to
Washington.
Read More
Pakistan
International
Airlines ( PIA, IATA
: PK ) has signed an
MoU with Turkish
Airlines ( IATA : TK
) in a move that
will signal a
strategic change in
the airline's
direction. Under the
new deal, pending
government approval,
PIA will stop a
range of its
unprofitable routes
to the US and the
EU, and instead
funnel the traffic
through TK's
Istanbul hub. The
routes to be ended
include New York and
Chicago. Not much
is known about the
partnership at this
stage, nor does
whether it includes
any revenue sharing.
However, PIA MD
Capt. Aijaz Haroon,
in an
interview with
Khaleej Times had
stated that the two
airlines will
cooperate and funnel
the traffic to West
via Istanbul and to
the East via
Karachi.
Read More
Net foreign
investment in
Pakistan fell 15.4
percent to $1.05
billion in the first
six months of the
fiscal year 2010/11,
compared with $1.24
billion in the same
period last year,
the central bank
said on Friday. Out
of the total foreign
investment, foreign
direct investment
fell 14.5 percent in
July and December to
$828.5 million, from
$968.9 million in
the same period last
year, the State Bank
of Pakistan said.
Foreign portfolio
investment fell 18.6
percent to $221.5
million in the first
half ending Dec. 31,
compared with $272.1
million in the same
period last year. A
shaky security
situation, with a
Taliban insurgency
in the country's
northwest, coupled
with chronic power
shortages, has put
off investors,
analysts say.
Read More
Remittances sent
home by overseas
Pakistanis continued
to show rising trend
and $5,291.41
million was received
in first half (July-
December) of current
fiscal year 2010-11,
showing increase of
$761.23 million or
16.80% when compared
with $4,530.18
million received
over same period of
last fiscal year,
State Bank of
Pakistan (SBP) said
Tuesday. The monthly
average of
remittances for
July- December 2010
comes out to $881.90
million as compared
to$755.04 million
during same
corresponding period
of last fiscal,
registering increase
of 16.80%
Read More.
Frank Ruggiero,
Acting Special
Representative to
Afghanistan and
Pakistan, announced
today that the U.S.
plans to contribute
$190 million to the
Government of
Pakistan’s Citizen’s
Damage Compensation
Fund (CDCF).
Speaking after his
meeting with Finance
Minister Abdul
Hafeez Shaikh, Mr.
Ruggiero said the
contribution
demonstrates the
commitment of the
United States to a
comprehensive,
long-term
partnership with the
people and
government of
Pakistan.
The Government of
Pakistan established
the CDCF to provide
cash grants to
approximately 1.6
million families in
flood-affected
areas. The CDCF
consists of an
initial cash grant
of 20,000 Pakistani
rupees (about $235)
to each eligible
family. Nearly 1.3
million families
have already
received the initial
20,000 rupee cash
grant, and further
installments are
being planned.
The $190 million
contribution will
come from funds
authorized by the
Kerry-Lugar-Berman
legislation.
“Today’s
announcement is
further proof that
the United States
will continue to
provide assistance
with recovery and
reconstruction to
help Pakistanis
rebuild their
lives,” Mr. Ruggiero
said. “We believe
this fund is
directly benefiting
flood-affected
families in their
time of greatest
need.”
In response to the
humanitarian crisis
caused by the flood,
the U.S. responded
quickly and
generously. To
date, in addition to
military airlift
support in the
immediate aftermath
of the disaster, the
U.S. Government has
provided nearly $600
million in
assistance, directly
helping millions of
Pakistanis with
shelter, food, clean
water, agricultural
assistance, and
health care.
The Islamic Society
of North America (ISNA)
joins with other
national
organizations to
offer prayers and
condolences to all
those affected in
the senseless and
tragic Arizona
shooting on Saturday
Jan 8th. The
shooting left
Democratic
Congresswoman
Gabrielle Giffords
in critical
condition and killed
six others,
including U.S.
District Judge John
Roll and a nine year
old girl. ISNA asks
all to pray for the
speedy recovery of
Congresswoman
Giffords and all
others injured, and
for God to ease the
suffering of all
those affected.
While information
continues to emerge
on this horrible
crime, we know
enough to believe
that the shooting
highlights the
danger of incendiary
political rhetoric.
ISNA reminds
everyone that as we
grieve as a nation
we must also
remember that the
rhetoric used
against
Congresswoman
Giffords is not new
and does not come
without serious
consequences.
Read More
Gov.
Chris Christie
said Thursday that
one of his seven
nominees for
Superior Court
judgeships would be
a lawyer who
represented many
detainees swept up
by the government in
the post-9/11
dragnet.
The
lawyer, Sohail
Mohammed, worked in
the aftermath of the
attacks to try to
foster trust between
American Muslims and
law enforcement,
particularly federal
officials. He is a
board member of the
American Muslim
Union. Mr. Christie,
a United States
attorney, was a
regular guest at
that group’s annual
Ramadan dinner and
spoke highly of Mr.
Mohammed’s work.
Read More
The red
brick walk outlines
the quintessential
suburban comforts –
it passes a Honda
Pilot in the
driveway, winds
through a manicured
lawn, and ends at
the white columned
entrance to the
Malik family's
spacious newly built
home.
But,
says Salman Malik,
who immigrated to
the United States
from Pakistan at age
9, there's something
missing: "In the US,
Muslim kids are in
trouble [because]
they lack role
models and
institutions." And
here, on the
outskirts of
Manchester, N.H.,
it's far from any
Muslim community; a
fledgling mosque is
under construction,
but it's a small
institution without
many services. So
Mr. Malik and his
wife, Romana, "have
to step in to fill
that void," he says.
"We have no choice.
Their [Muslim]
identity is very
important to us. We
want to make sure
they know who they
are."
Read More
Like so many
Americans all across
the country, Barack
and I were shocked
and heartbroken by
the horrific act of
violence committed
in Arizona this past
weekend. Yesterday,
we had the chance to
attend a memorial
service and meet
with some of the
families of those
who lost their
lives, and both of
us were deeply moved
by their strength
and resilience in
the face of such
unspeakable tragedy.
As parents, an event
like this hits home
especially hard. It
makes our hearts
ache for those who
lost loved ones. It
makes us want to hug
our own families a
little tighter. And
it makes us think
about what an event
like this says about
the world we live in
– and the world in
which our children
will grow up.
In the days and
weeks ahead, as we
struggle with these
issues ourselves,
many of us will find
that our children
are struggling with
them as well. The
questions my
daughters have asked
are the same ones
that many of your
children will have –
and they don’t lend
themselves to easy
answers. But they
will provide an
opportunity for us
as parents to teach
some valuable
lessons – about the
character of our
country, about the
values we hold dear,
and about finding
hope at a time when
it seems far away.
We can teach our
children that here
in America, we
embrace each other,
and support each
other, in times of
crisis. And we can
help them do that in
their own small way
– whether it’s by
sending a letter, or
saying a prayer, or
just keeping the
victims and their
families in their
thoughts.
We can teach them
the value of
tolerance – the
practice of assuming
the best, rather
than the worst,
about those around
us. We can teach
them to give others
the benefit of the
doubt, particularly
those with whom they
disagree.
We can also teach
our children about
the tremendous
sacrifices made by
the men and women
who serve our
country and by their
families. We can
explain to them that
although we might
not always agree
with those who
represent us, anyone
who enters public
life does so because
they love their
country and want to
serve it.
Christina Green felt
that call. She was
just nine years old
when she lost her
life. But she was
at that store that
day because she was
passionate about
serving others. She
had just been
elected to her
school’s student
council, and she
wanted to meet her
Congresswoman and
learn more about
politics and public
life.
And that’s something
else we can do for
our children – we
can tell them about
Christina and about
how much she wanted
to give back. We
can tell them about
John Roll, a judge
with a reputation
for fairness; about
Dorothy Morris, a
devoted wife to her
husband, her high
school sweetheart,
to whom she’d been
married for 55
years; about Phyllis
Schneck, a
great-grandmother
who sewed aprons for
church fundraisers;
about Dorwan
Stoddard, a retired
construction worker
who helped neighbors
down on their luck;
and about Gabe
Zimmerman, who did
community outreach
for Congresswoman
Giffords, working
tirelessly to help
folks who were
struggling, and was
engaged to be
married next year.
We can tell them
about the brave men
and women who risked
their lives that day
to save others. And
we can work together
to honor their
legacy by following
their example – by
embracing our fellow
citizens; by
standing up for what
we believe is right;
and by doing our
part, however we
can, to serve our
communities and our
country.
The American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination
Committee (ADC)
Legal Department is
looking for
motivated,
self-starter law
students who want a
great experience in
Washington, DC, this
summer. Interns will
be working closely
with ADC attorneys
on an array of
issues. Interns are
expected to commit
40 hours per week,
starting in late
May. The program
ends in early
August.
Interns will have
the opportunity to
work on a number of
cases involving
civil rights. Cases
will be in the areas
of immigration law,
employment
discrimination,
educational
discrimination,
housing
discrimination,
freedom of speech
matters, public
accommodations, hate
crimes and family
law issues. Interns
will also have the
opportunity to
represent the
organization at
various meetings and
conferences, and
develop a vast
network with a
number of government
and professional
agencies in the DC
area.
Law students who are
taking or have
already taken
courses in
immigration law,
employment
discrimination law,
and/or civil rights
and remedies law are
strongly encouraged
to apply. Previous
legal and policy
experience at a
non-profit group or
a legal clinic is
highly desirable.
Demonstrated
interest in these
areas is also
required. Strong
legal research and
writing are
required. Bilingual
ability in Arabic
and English is
helpful but not
required.
Applications for
summer internships
with the Legal
Department are due
by
March 1.
Applications for
other departments
are due March 15.
Later applications
will be considered,
but early applicants
will be given
priority.
·
Two-page personal
statement about your
goals as an ADC
intern and how your
academic,
professional, or
campus and community
activities or career
goals are related to
the position you
requested.
Mail completed
package to:
ADC Anthony Shadid
Internship Program –
Legal Department
American-Arab
Anti-Discrimination
Committee (ADC)
1732 Wisconsin
Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20007
For more
information, call
202-244-2990 or
email ADC Legal
Director Abed Ayoub
at
aayoub@adc.org
Pakistani American
Entreperuner and
Chair, Economic
Growth Committee of
President Obama's
Commission on Asian
Americans Dilawar
Syed led this
efforts for
organizing the inaugural
White House
Initiative Summit on
Entrepreneurship and
Small Business
Growth
in San Francisco.
The Summit brought together over 700
entrepreneurs and
small business
owners to the
Microsoft Campus in
Silicon Valley. This
event was of
strategic importance
to the
Administration as it
kicked-off its
engagement with a 1
million strong
Asian-American entrepreneur
community across the
country.
The
Summit was an
unprecedented
opportunity for our
community of
entrepreneurs
representing every
segment of the Asian
American Community
to interact with key
policy-makers from
the Obama
Administrations as
well as agencies
including the Small
Business
Administration
(SBA), the Federal
Reserve and
Departments of
Commerce and Energy.
Summit workshops and panels covered a broad variety
of topics
including contracting
with the federal
government, the role
of SBA loans in
venture
financing, President's
Export Initiative
and opportunities
for global trade for
start-up's, trends
in technology and
data management, and
industry-themed
discussions on how
the Recovery Act is
supporting Cleantech
and Healthcare IT.
We made history last
Friday in bringing
together our diverse
community under one
roof and starting a
dialog with leaders
in Washington.
Clearly, this is a
first step in
our work
together. In a year
when economy tops
the national agenda,
the efforts of Asian
American innovators,
entrepreneurs and
small businesses
will be crucial to
sustaining the US
economic recovery. I
look forward to
your continued
support and
leadership in months
ahead.
United States
Citizenship and
Immigration Services
(USCIS) is pleased
to release
The Handbook for
Employers(Rev.
01/05/2011), also
known as the M-274.
The Handbook for
Employers
helps employers
better understand
the Form I-9
process. It was
published in
cooperation with our
Department of
Homeland Security
partners.
By law, U.S.
employers must
verify the identity
and employment
authorization for
every worker they
hire after November
6, 1986, regardless
of the employee’s
immigration status.
To comply with the
law, employers must
complete Form I-9,
Employment
Eligibility
Verification.
The
Handbook for
Employers
is a guide for
employers in the
Form I-9 process. It
has been revised and
updated with new
information about
applicable
regulations,
including new
regulations about
electronic storage
and retention of
Forms I-9; it
clarifies how to
process an employee
with a complicated
immigration status;
and, it addresses
public comments and
frequently asked
questions. We thank
the many
stakeholders who
have provided
comments on the Form
I-9 process and the
Handbook since the
Handbook was last
revised (Rev.
7/31/2009).
Some of the many
improvements, new
sections, and tools
included in
The Handbook for
Employers are:
·New
visual aids for
completing Form I-9;
·Examples
of new relevant
USCIS documents;
·Expanded
guidance on lawful
permanent residents,
refugees and asylees,
individuals in
Temporary Protected
Status (TPS), and
exchange visitors
and foreign
students;
·Expanded
guidance on the
processing of
employees in or
porting to H1-B
status and H2-A
status; and,
·Expanded
guidance on
extensions of stay
for employees with
temporary employment
authorization.
For many
years, USCIS had
taken the position
that the law did not
permit the
beneficiary of a
visa petition to
obtain approval of
the petition if the
petitioner died
while the petition
remained pending.
USCIS haschanged this governing law with respect to an alien
who is seeking an
immigration benefit
through a deceased
“qualifying
relative.” Section
204(l) permits the
approval of a visa
petition or refugee/asylee
relative petition,
as well as any
adjustment
application and
related application,
if the alien seeking
the benefit:
·
Resided in the
United States when
the qualifying
relative died;
·
Continues to reside
in the United States
on the date of the
decision on the
pending petition or
application; and
Is at least one of
the following:
·
The beneficiary of a
pending or approved
immediate relative
visa petition;
·
The beneficiary of a
pending or approved
family-based visa
petition, including
both the principal
beneficiary and any
derivative
beneficiaries;
·
Any derivative
beneficiary of a
pending or approved
employment-based
visa petition;
·
The beneficiary of a
pending or approved
Form I-730, Refugee/Asylee
Relative Petition;
·
An alien admitted as
a derivative “T” or
“U” nonimmigrant; or
·
A derivative asylee
under section
208(b)(3) of the
Act.
WASHINGTON DC, JANUARY 4, 2011 Pakistan
American Public
Affairs Committee
(PAKPAC) joins all
fellow Pakistani
Americans in
strongly condemning
the assassination of
Mr. Salman Taseer,
the twenty sixth
Governor of Punjab,
our deepest
sympathies are with
Governor Taseer's
wife and children.
The 66-year-old, one
of the country's
most moderate voices
against radical
Islam and the
encroaching menace
of the Taliban and
Al-Qaeda, was shot
dead by a member of
his own security
detail outside an
upscale market cafe
in Islamabad on
Tuesday.
Pakistan American
community has been
in a state of shock
and immense grief on
hearing the news.
Although details as
to the motive of the
crime are yet to
surface, initial
indications are that
this brutal murder one again raises the
fundamental issue:
that religious
indoctrination is
feeding the fires of
hatred and
intolerance. Lately, Mr. Taseer had become an outspoken
champion of
tolerance and women
rights. He supported
the rights of all
minorities in
Pakistan,
opposed extremism
and Talibanisation,
and was against
misuse of laws to
marginalize
minorities under the
guise of religious
beliefs and the
current blasphemy
law.
Mr. Taseer was a
brave man who
along with a handful
of other politicians
like Sherry Rahman
had called for the
repeal of Pakistan's
blasphemy law.
Read More
The brutal
assassination of
Salmaan Taseer, the
outspoken governor
of Punjab, is an
ominous indication
that Pakistan is
plunging headlong
into a state of
ataxia. And one
wonders if it will
ever come out of it.
Salmaan was killed,
as confessed by his
murderous bodyguard,
for being a staunch
opponent of the
blasphemy laws in
Pakistan and seeking
presidential pardon
for Aasia Bibi, the
Christian woman who
was recently awarded
the death penalty
under section 295-C
of the Pakistan
Penal Code (PPC) for
allegedly abusing
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
It is a fact that
the use of
derogatory language
against Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH), or
for that matter any
prophet, is
considered a great
sin in Islam. But it
is also no ordinary
crime to sentence
somebody to death
without evidence. So
far, the charges
against Aasia Bibi
have not been
incontrovertibly
proved. Pakistan’s
Federal Minister for
Minorities, Shahbaz
Bhatti, is on record
as saying that the
case against her is
concocted as the
complainant and
major witnesses were
not present at the
site of the
incident. But, then,
the courts in
Pakistan work under
tremendous
right-wing pressure.
It may be recalled
that in 1997, the
Lahore High Court
Judge Arif Iqbal
Bhatti, who had
acquitted two
Christians accused
of blasphemy in
1995, was shot dead.
Read More
We have seen this
movie before, under
civilian and
military
governments‚ and it
does not have a
happy ending.
Pakistan again
stands at a
precipice. While
there is much to be
said for the
indomitable spirit
of the Pakistani
people‚ our
leadership appears
blindfolded and
unworthy‚ focused
only on the
short-term. In 2010‚
we came through one
of the world’s worst
disasters—unprecedented
floods that affected
20 million people‚
mainly the rural
poor—with the help
of ordinary
citizens‚ the Army‚
and our friends
abroad. Our leaders
were AWOL during the
crisis‚ and the
federal and
provincial
governments
flatfooted. Almost
six months later‚
many of the affected
are still awaiting
aid‚ according to a
senior international
relief worker.
Standing water makes
life impossible in
parts of Sindh. The
floods have fallen
off the news cycle‚
and donations for
relief work have
dried up. The floods
will be remembered
come the next
elections.
Read More
Worsening political
turmoil and an
unraveling economy
cloud prospects for
Pakistan’s stability
in the year ahead.
When the ruling
coalition led by
President Asif
Zardari lost the
support of two key
allies the country
plunged into a fresh
political crisis.
The defections left
the government well
short of a
parliamentary
majority and
struggling to avert
a collapse.
The more important
question this raised
was not if a
minority government
would survive, but
if it did, would
such a feeble
administration be
able to govern. The
danger of political
paralysis looms at a
time when the
country needs
decisive leadership
to deal with
pressing problems. A
lame-duck
administration
preoccupied by the
politics of survival
is unlikely to be
able to address a
gathering economic
crisis that poses
the most serious
threat to the
nation’s stability.
Read More
Please accept my
deep condolences at
the tragic
assassination Monday
of Governor Salmaan
Taseer who stood
firmly for human
dignity and
courageously against
laws that both
stifle peaceful free
expression and have
been used to settle
personal scores--and
hence abused.
Pakistan Ambassador
Haqqani spoke
eloquently on
National Public
Radio here yesterday
against this
thoughtless and
tragic killing. His
term “Obscurantists”
to identify those
who impose this law
was of course
correct.
Such laws are
obviously counter to
any modern state
where the majority
may rule but total
conformity of belief
or expression is not
a reasonable or
productive goal of
the state, be it
North Korea,
Pakistan or anywhere
else.
We are all aware of
the early Christian
dogma that condemned
anyone to torture or
death who claimed
that the earth
circled the sun
rather than the
opposite. Galileo
was threatened by
the church with
torture and death
unless he reversed
his discovery. But
there are numerous
other examples where
rigid dogma stifled
human advancement
and well being.
We Americans who
care deeply about
Pakistan and its
wonderful, generous
people hope their
political leaders
will have courage to
oppose rigid
conformity in
expression of human
beliefs, especially
when peacefully
expressed. And
democratically
reverse laws that
punish respectful
expression of those
beliefs.
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Zardari
held a closed-door
meeting with Obama
after flying into
Washington for a
memorial service for
Richard Holbrooke,
the late US envoy
for Pakistan and
Afghanistan which
has been a top
priority for the US
administration.
Pakistan
International
Airlines ( PIA, IATA
: PK ) has signed an
MoU with Turkish
Airlines ( IATA : TK
) in a move that
will signal a
strategic change in
the airline's
direction. Under the
new deal, pending
government approval,
PIA will stop a
range of its
unprofitable routes
to the US and the
EU, and instead
funnel the traffic
through TK's
Istanbul hub. The
routes to be ended
include New York and
Chicago. Not much
is known about the
partnership at this
stage, nor does
whether it includes
any revenue sharing.
However, PIA MD
Capt. Aijaz Haroon,
in an
The
Summit was an
unprecedented
opportunity for our
community of
entrepreneurs
representing every
segment of the Asian
American Community
to interact with key
policy-makers from
the Obama
Administrations as
well as agencies
including the Small
Business
Administration
(SBA), the Federal
Reserve and
Departments of
Commerce and Energy.
