WASHINGTON, Aug 25 (APP): A key US lawmaker has conveyed his deepest sympathies to the government and the people of Pakistan over the devastation caused by the recent floods and offered condolences over the loss of life resulting from the unprecedented monsoon rains across the country.
Adverse effects from erratic climate change call for greater collaboration to overcome this challenge, Congressman Gregory Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said during a meeting with Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.S. Masood Khan on Thursday, according to a press release issued by the Pakistani embassy here.
The Pakistani envoy thanked Chairman Meeks for expressing solidarity with the flood victims, saying that the country was trying to deal with this natural catastrophe.
He also thanked for US financial assistance for the flood victims and disaster relief activities.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken had announced $1 million to build resilience against natural disasters in addition to $100,000 in immediate relief for the flood victims of Pakistan.
In their meeting, Masood Khan and Meeks also discussed parliamentary exchanges, security cooperation and economic partnership between the two countries.
Congressman Meeks appreciated Pakistan’s commendable role in helping the United States with safe evacuations after 15th August 2021, when Taliban swept to power in Afghanistan.
There was broad agreement on taking Pak-US ties to a higher level, the Ambassador said in a tweet.
Chairman Meeks has had a close association with Pakistan and has interacted with Pakistani leadership while holding different positions in the US Congress. He has held the position of House Foreign Affairs Committee since 2020. As a Democrat, he has been consecutively elected to the House of Representatives since 1998.
He visited Pakistan in November 2020, accompanied by Congressman Ami Bera. During the visit, the delegation met Pakistani parliamentary and government leadership and members of civil society.
There is a broad consensus across political spectrum in the United States to strengthen Pak-US relations by promoting trade and investment and people-to-people exchanges, the press release said.
Separately, Ambassador Masood Khan also received U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom (USIRF), Rashad Hussain.
In his tweet, Ambassador Masood Khan said, (It) was a pleasure to receive Ambassador Rashad Hussain and discuss with him human and religious rights as well as interfaith harmony.ť
The first Muslim to be nominated by the Biden Administration as the Ambassador-at-Large for USIRF, Ambassador Rashad Hussain has been an ardent supporter of interfaith harmony and dialogue.
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