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PAKPAC supported one of our board members who were serving along with his wife as a Delegate from New York, Dr. Mushtaq Sheikh and Bushra Sheikh. Meetings were held with other delegates from different parts of the country including Pakistani American, American Muslim, South Asian American and Asian Pacific American groups of delegates. Some of the PAKPAC members in their personal capacities joined in and supported and helped organize the first ever American Muslim Democratic Caucus meeting at the DNC convention. Some of these delegates included Mushtaq Sheikh, Bushra Sheikh, Asif Mahmood, Mushir Hassan, Shah Haqqi, Awais Khaleel, Ather Pasha, Rashid Burney, Kamil Hassan, and James Yee among many others. DNC National Standing Committee Members including Mr. AJ Durrani and Mr. Malik Mujahid were also present. The PAKPAC President Dr. Saud Anwar along with Mr. Zafar Tahir, Mr. Ali Mirza, Mr Umair Khan met with Congressman Andre Carson, Congressman Keith Ellison, Congressman Brad Sherman, Congressman Mike Honda, Congressman Al Green. They met with Governor Bill Richardson of NM, Governor Deval Patrick of MA, Senator Benjamin Cardin or MD and other many other Members of Congress. Meetings were also held with Hollywood Actress and human rights activist and children help ambassador and environment protection educator Ms. Jane Seymour (Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman fame), Mr. James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute, Justin Aldrich Rockefeller, a political activist and co-founder and National Program Director of Generation Engage and the the youngest son of West Virginia's prominent Senator, Jay Rockefeller and his wife, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, and is a fifth generation member of the Rockefeller family. Other meetigns included those with Ambassador of Pakistan to United States Mr Hussain Haqani and Joshua Dubois, Director of Religious Affairs for the Obama Campaign. Many meetings and discussions were held with many of the other Pakistani American community members, Pakistani American Organization leaders, American Muslim Organization leaders, Indian American organization leaders and Asian Pacific American Community leaders. The PAKPAC board members all had invitations to attend the main events at the Pepsi center and later at the IVESCO Field. The presence and participation of PAKPAC was a useful step in being present at the main convention with a strong outreach to the various groups and legislators, however with the current needs assessment and comparing ourselves with other similar size or larger size communities our communities participation needs to improve significantly. There is a need for community members to become active politically in their local communities and work within both the parties from within to help them better be educated on our issues of concern both here in the United States and beyond. PAKPAC is encouraging the board members and the larger Pakistani American community members to plan to attend and be an important part of the Republican National Convention as well. |
