LAHORE, Oct 25: The government must immediately coordinate with Pakistani-Americans for lobbying in the US for the improvement of the country’s image marred, especially after Sept 9, 2001.

This was stated by three leading American Pakistanis at a reception arranged for them by Focus Pakistan President Dr M. Owais Farooqui here on Saturday.

Pakistani-Americans Business Association Chairman Rashid Chaudhry said America was being run by a few lobbyists and policy makers, and the system allowed others to understand and to utilize it for their advantage. There were 22,000 lobbyists alone in Washington but Pakistanis did not realize their importance.

He said around four years ago Pakistanis were playing an important role in building their country’s image in America. But now, the Indians had taken over them on all fronts. New Delhi coordinated with its citizens in the US and altered its policy in the light of their advice, improving its image there.

“We can’t ignore America. India is having a lot of influence on it and affecting its policy towards Pakistan,” he said.

Mr Chaudhry regretted that Pakistani Americans were divided in small groups, damaging each other’s efforts to build the country’s image there. They were required to get united for the sake of their country.

He said Pakistan was also required to reach its citizens in America, forming a joint policy to improve its image there. Lobbying was very important in this regard but required the services of lobbyists there for the purpose.

“Tell the lobbyists what we want, what is our wish list for the short and long term goals and supplement their efforts,” he said.

Mr Chaudhry said track-II diplomacy was very important with regard to Pakistan-US relations but it was sabotaged by the vested interests.

“Pakistan and America should urgently start track-II diplomacy for confidence building between them,” he said.

Pakistan America Congress and National Co-chair of Democrat Presidential Candidate John Kerry Shahid Ahmad Khan said Pakistanis did not have a proper channel to communicate their point of view to America and its media which were making their own perceptions of Islamabad.

India considered its citizens in the US as its extended arm but the case was not the same with Pakistan, he said. He, too, urged the need for lobbying for Pakistan which he said needed to counter the extremists, including Mr Bush, who were ruling America, and the propaganda against Pakistanis.

South Asia Research Institute of Policy and Development Executive Director Javed Sultan said Pakistanis were facing a hard time abroad not because they were bad but because of the Zionists lobby in America which was being supported by people in other countries. He said he had made a database to counter propaganda against Pakistan.