By Dr. Gholam Mujtaba, MS, MD, Ed.D.
Clifton, New Jersey — February 1, 2026 : I, Dr. Gholam Mujtaba, MS, MD, Ed.D., a Pakistani American citizen and Chairman of the Pakistan Policy Institute USA, issue this statement in response to the public message circulated this week by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad regarding “deepening U.S.–Pakistan ties” through
economic engagement, innovation, and education.
My work—undertaken single-handedly in a leadership role and carried out with a volunteer team of patriotic Pakistani American community colleagues—is fully compliant with U.S. law, including the Foreign Agents Registration Act and related federal regulations governing foreign-related engagement. We act as American citizens first—motivated by America’s strategic interests in regional stability, counter-extremism, trade, education, and a rules-based order.
This effort is not a slogan—it is a disciplined civic mission: to eliminate misperceptions that undermine U.S. interests and to address the trust deficit that has, for years, distorted perceptions on both sides of the Atlantic. The U.S. policymaking ecosystem—especially the United States Congress—forms judgments based on what it sees, hears, and documents. When Pakistan’s narrative is absent, others fill the vacuum—often with one-sided allegations about democracy, rule of law, and human rights, including controversies surrounding Pakistan’s elections.
For this reason, I have consistently maintained that Pakistan’s point of view must be presented formally, respectfully, and on the record—not through street rhetoric, not through social-media misinformation, and not through rumor networks operating in the shadows. On at least one key occasion, I personally submitted a written rebuttal and clarification to relevant U.S. Congressional channels to counter damaging, one-sided portrayals that risked further deterioration of bilateral ties. That initiative was grounded in a simple principle: strategic relationships cannot survive if one side’s case is never heard.
The Significance of the Embassy Message
The Embassy’s statement is significant because it publicly confirms that U.S. diplomacy is actively investing in people-to-people ties, education, innovation, and economic engagement across Pakistan, describing activities spanning major regions and cities and emphasizing a forward-looking bilateral posture. This aligns with the strategic truth:
•A stable, democratic, and economically functional Pakistan reduces pressures that spill into U.S. security interests—including transnational terrorism, irregular migration, and regional escalation.
•Trade, education, and innovation linkages are among the highest-return tools of influence—they build constituencies for moderation and cooperation over time.
•When misunderstandings harden, legislation appears—and Pakistan has faced growing reputational headwinds in Washington on issues tied to civil liberties, democratic norms, and rights protections.
In that context, the Embassy message is more than a press note: it is a diplomatic signal that constructive engagement remains possible—and that lawful bridges built by diaspora citizens can complement official diplomacy.
A Record of Serious Bridge-Building
My current initiatives—anchored around structured engagement in Rayburn House Office Building, policy-level interactions around National Press Club, and private civic dialogue hosted at my residence in New Jersey—reflect a long arc of bridge-building that I have pursued for years, including earlier conference initiatives in 2011–2012 and my historic engagement that helped encourage the withdrawal of a sanctions-related measure from a U.S. Senate appropriations pathway under Senator Daniel Inouye after my formal request at the time.
I will not comment on Pakistan’s internal delays and disruptions that repeatedly postponed official travel—those are Pakistan’s internal matters. But I will state clearly: no comparable diaspora-driven, compliance-minded, strategically structured effort has been sustained over the past several decades to bridge parliamentary understanding between Pakistan and the United States at the level required by today’s geopolitical realities.
Warning Against Misinterpretation and Sabotage Narratives
Let me also be unambiguous: certain vested interests will attempt to misinterpret, malign, or obstruct these lawful engagements. Some align—openly or quietly—with anti-American lobbies in the region whose objective is to damage U.S. influence, fracture alliances, and sabotage any initiative that improves mutual understanding between the United States and Pakistan.
These obstruction campaigns often follow a predictable pattern: rumors, delegitimization, procedural confusion, and personal attacks—aimed at discouraging diaspora leaders and intimidating community partners. To them, my response is simple: we are resilient, we are lawful, and we will continue.
Appreciation
I extend my appreciation to the United States Department of State and U.S. Mission professionals for sustaining engagement that strengthens American security and prosperity and encourages constructive outcomes in Pakistan. I also thank the Members and offices of the U.S. Congress for their continued support of diaspora civic initiatives conducted within U.S. legal frameworks.
As American citizens of Pakistani heritage, we stand for U.S. strategic interests—while also helping Pakistan understand, in practical terms, the expectations for democratic governance, the rule of law, and the protection of rights that shape U.S. policy decisions. That clarity serves both nations, but it serves America first—because it reduces the space for miscalculation, extremism, and anti-U.S. manipulation in a region of high consequence.
References (numbers only)
[1] Reporting on the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad message and the quoted “deepened ties” statement, including emphasis on economic engagement, innovation, and education (Jan 30, 2026). ?[2] Coverage summarizing the Embassy’s week-long engagements across Pakistan and the same “deepened through economic engagement, innovation and education” framing (Jan 31, 2026).
