28 November 2001

President Bush Meets With Pakistani Americans

President Bush met with a group of Pakistani Americans at the White House November 28 to discuss their concerns related to Pakistan and other issues.

A media release issued by the American Muslim Council (AMC) described the meeting as warm and positive and said the president showed understanding of Pakistani Americans' main concerns.

"President Bush was appreciative of the efforts General Pervez Musharraf is making to combat terrorism in that part of the world, and he also seems to understand centrality of the two issues facing Pakistan: huge debt, and the Kashmir dispute," said Dr. Amanullah Khan, AMC Vice Chairman.

President Bush also promised to look into the recent arrest of Palestinian academic Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar in Florida.

Following is the text of the American Muslim Council media release:

Pakistani Americans Term Meeting With President Bush as Warm, Positive

Washington, DC, November 29, 2001: A group of Pakistani Americans was invited to meet with President George Bush at the White House yesterday. Among the invitees were the heads of various Pakistani American organizations, including the vice chairman of the American Muslim Council, Dr. Amanullah Khan, and a member of the AMC Advisory Board, Dr. Khalid Qazi.

Participants of the meeting were appreciative of President Bush's candid thoughts on issues pertaining to the subcontinent. Talking to the AMC Media Department, the participants said the President sounded encouraging over suggestions for debt retirement for Pakistan and giving the Administration's urgent attention to the Kashmir dispute.

"President Bush was appreciative of the efforts General Pervez Musharraf is making to combat terrorism in that part of the world, and he also seems to understand centrality of the two issues facing Pakistan: huge debt, and the Kashmir dispute, " said the AMC Vice Chairman.

One of the participants, Dr. Raana Akbar, President-elect of the Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA), raised the issue of Dr. Mazen Al-Najjar with the President. According to Dr. Akbar, the President took notes and promised to do something about it.

The meeting, which was originally scheduled for 15 minutes only, lasted for more than 45 minutes. About 17 people from around the United States attended the meeting.