Pakistan needs trade with US not aid : Jalil Abbas Jilani

HOUSTON: Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States Jalil Abbas Jilani has said that Pakistan needs trade not aid with the US.

"We need Market Access to USA for our wonderful textile, surgical instruments, food, and other products.

Our relationships with USA that had seen slight down turns, have considerably improved with the start of the ongoing strategic dialogues and formation of working committees on terrorism, security, energy, trade, education & sciencer," added Mr. Jilani.

He was speaking at the luncheon meeting arranged in his honor by the Houston Karachi Sister City Association (HKSCA) at local hotel in Houston, where around seventy eminent personalities from various spheres of life were present, including political, business, academic, and healthcare industry.

Program started with Quranic Recitation by Khalid Kazi. Special Vote of Thanks came from Vice President of HKSCA Muhammad Zaheer, while Emcee of the event was Ms. Cristal Montanez, Executive Director of famous Pakistani NGO Hashoo Foundation.


Speaking on the occasion, President of HKSCA Saeed Sheikh explained that goals & objectives of the association, which are to improve the educational, medical, humanitarian, cultural, and business relationships between these two largest metropolis of the world, namely Houston and Karachi; & through the people to people relations enhance the ties between not only the cities, but as well the countries of USA & Pakistan.


He highlighted the various ongoing projects, as well as several accomplishments of HKSCA and thanked the Honorable Consul General of Pakistan Afzaal Mahmood & Commercial Attaché Syed Fawad Shah for their guidance & assistance in accomplishing various projects of HKSCA.

Jalil Abbas Jilani mentioned that with various reforms done by the Government of Pakistan, doing business is now more easy and lucrative.

Pakistan is in need of energy and with abundance of Shale Energy Resources in Pakistan, it provides an opportunity for the American Companies, especially from Texas to be engaged in the Shale Energy Sector.

He added that associations like HKSCA have been playing vital role in improving the trade and people-to-people relationships between USA and Pakistan; & it is very much appreciated.

In this grand luncheon event arranged by HKSCA, people from different facets of American society were in attendance, including Congressman Steve Stockman, Congressman AL Green, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, Mayor Pro-Tam Ed Gonzales, Honorable Consul General of Pakistan Afzaal Mahmood, several High Profile County & District Judges, and Entrepreneurs from the field of export-import, healthcare, & other industries.

Congressman AL Green informed that USAID has recently given $400 Million to Pakistan in terms of aid for developmental projects.


"I have several Pakistani-Americans Constituents; and working together with them, we can devise productive projects & programs for Pakistan. I pledge full support to HKSCA for their endeavor in linking a major Houston hospital with a salient hospital in Karachi through Tele-Medicine," said Congressman AL Green.

Jalil Abbas Jilani received Congressional Certificate from Congressman AL Green, and Honorary Citizenship Certificate from Mayor Pro-Tam Ed Gonzales on behalf of the City of Houston.

Sheriff Garcia gave him the coveted Sheriff Cap and Pin, while Former City Councilperson Masrur Javed Khan, Member of Board of Directors of HKSCA, gave special plaque of recognition for Ambassadors’ meritorious towards strong Pakistan-US relations.

IJalil Abbas Jilani has been an accomplished career diplomat, who assumed his responsibilities as Ambassador of Pakistan to the U.S. in January, 2014.