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KARACHI Nazim Karachi Syed Mustafa Kamal and Mayor of Houston Bill White signed an agreement declaring Karachi and Houston sister cities.
The agreement signing ceremony was held at the City Council Hall of Houston, making Karachi the 17th world city to be entered into sister cities relationship with Houston.
Speaking on the occasion Mustafa Kamal said Karachi is the face of Pakistan and the biggest city of the Muslim world.
'Today we, as well as the entire Muslim Ummah, are victims of our own bad perception. Our marketing world over by the Muslim community as well as from Pakistan has been very poor'.
'After having established a relationship with Houston the world will get a chance to evaluate us as Pakistani's and as Muslims', he said adding that for him it is not just a binding relation between two cities but he looks at it beyond that. There is a deep rooted vision behind it.
'It is very important for us to we become the front line city of Muslims of this part of the world to show who we are and what we do.'
Mustafa Kamal pointed out that although this is not the prime job of any district government to market Karachi and Pakistan, as the Government of Pakistan has foreign offices all over the world but instead of waiting we have come to this part of the world for showing Karachi as well as showing the good deeds of the Pakistani and Karachi administration.
He thanked the Mayor of Houston City Bill White, his whole team, the people of Houston and especially cited the name of M.J Khan, the President of Houston Karachi Sister Cities Association for being a very vital player in the whole process.
'On behalf of 18 million people of Karachi, the people and all districts of Pakistan, I thank you all for giving me this opportunity', Mustafa Kamal said and described the occasion indeed as a great historical moment which would not have been possible if the mayor of Houston and all his team had not taken initiatives in this regard.
Earlier, Mayor Bill White of Houston termed the Houston Karachi sister cities agreement as an important occasion for both cities and citizens of the two cities and said that he had been in Karachi as a senior government official and he had seen many parts of the city.
Both have skilled and hard working people and both are port cities. He expressed hope that this relationship would prove successful.
The program was attended by Consul General of Pakistan Aaqil Nadeem, Chairman of Sister Cities Board Mike Hier, Chairman of Houston City Council of International Relations M.J Khan, members of Houston City Council and a large number of prominent citizens.
Both Mustafa Kamal and Bill White exchanged souvenirs after signing the agreement.
Nazim Karachi also presented the traditional Ajrak and Sindhi Cap to Mayor Bill White.
