NEW YORK, Oct 23: The Governor of New York, George Pataki, said on Monday that he was working with the Bush administration to allow the Pakistani students to get visas for higher education in the universities and colleges in New York.

Talking to reporters and the Pakistani community leaders at his camp office in New York, Pataki said: “We want the Pakistani and students from around the world to come to New York where we have some of the finest higher education facilities.”

Stressing that “we have to keep ourselves protected,” the governor nevertheless added: “We have to make sure that door of opportunities remains open for Pakistani students to come here for higher education.”

When pointed out that many Pakistan students who have secured admissions to the educational institutions have been denied visas, Pataki said: “I know this is important for the New York State, the students,

it is also important for those institutions who depend and count on significant number of students who come from overseas, to get these students who have legitimate desire for higher education to come here.”

“We are working with the federal government, asking them while being appropriately concerned about our security, to allow these students to come here and be a part of New York.”

Pataki, a Republican, who is running in the elections to become governor of New York State for the third time, also told the Pakistani community leaders that he was working with the Bush administration to get approved a legislation 245 (i) to allow Pakistanis who are working here and paying taxes to secure legal status and green cards while living in the United States.

Pataki pointed out that “President Bush supports that resolution (245 (i) ) to get it through the Congress so that legal cloud is removed.”

Responding to a question about discrimination against the Pakistanis prevalent in New York and other states, Pataki said: “I want to send a strong message to everyone, we are a free and tolerant country which respects people from every background, we respect people from every religion.”

“Any New Yorker or any American who is discrimina-ting against people because of their religion is playing in the hands of the terrorists,” he asserted.