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NEW YORK July 8
(NNI): The news that Ambasador Maleeha Lodhi will not be serving
Pakistan in Washington was shocking and unpleasant for Pakistani
expatriates. Despite Maleeha served twice the natives hoped and believed
that there is a way that she can come back.
She served Pakistan well, developed and promoted Pak-U.S. relations,
interacted warmly and sincerely with expatriates and the community have
doubts that there will be someone other than Maleeha more suitable for this
position.
At the annual convention of APPNA (Association of Pakistani physicians in
North
America),which drew over three thousand people to New York, Maleeha was
honoured with an award for what the Association called her inspirational
leadership and dedicated service to the community and building Pak-Us
relations.
Maleeha has been a particularly popular figure amongst the community
especially women, many of whom told this correspondent that she was a role
model and that they doubted anyone could fill her shoes. Other community
members said they wished her well in her future career but would have
preferred to see Maleeha serve longer as Pakisatn's ambassador to the US.
Variously desribed as the 'people's envoy 'and presenting the true face of
Pakistan, Dr Lodhi addressed the community at APPNA's annual convention as
well as at the meeting of PakPac (the public affairs wing of APPNA).
At the PacPac function she said that for the first time in over a decade
relations between Pakistan and the US had become sanctions -free. Bilateral
ties were poised to grow for intrinsic reasons, unlike in the past when they
were a function of Washington's Cold War considerations.
Briefing the community on the current state of Indo-Pakistan relations she
said that although the crisis had eased it was by no means over as India
continued to reject dialogue and take meaningful steps to de-escalate
tensions.
She said India says no to bilateral dialogue and no to international or
multilateral
intercession to resolve differences with Pakistan. Maleeha asked whether
India's real objective was to seek to drive a wedge between Pakistan and the
international community, which is why it consistently sought to malign
Pakistan. but in vain. Maleeha said Pakistan sought peace and dialogue but
its repeated offers for talks should not be mistaken for weakness.
The Pakistani American community bid an emotional farewell to outgoing envoy
Dr Maleeha Lodhi, with many leaders describing her as the best Ambassador
they had seen to Washington.
Community leaders interviewed at the APPNA meeting said that Dr Lodhi would
be missed in America and they were all sad to see her return home. |
