New York State Assembly Deputy Speaker Phil Ramos has announced that he
plans to declare the Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Punjab as sister states of New
York early next year. Ramos made the announcement during a meeting with Sindh
Caretaker Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar and Karachi Mayor Murtaza
Wahab.
The deputy speaker, who is on a four-day trip to Pakistan, said that he is in the
country to promote people-to-people contacts and to open the doors of New York to
Pakistanis. He also said that he plans to table a resolution in the New York State
Assembly in January 2024 to declare Sindh and Punjab as sister states of New
York.
The American-Pakistani Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) is also advocating for
the sister state relationship between Punjab and Sindh with New York. The APPAC,
which has been working on the issue since April, believes that the sister-state
relationship will help to promote economic and cultural ties between the two
countries.
In addition to meeting with Baqar and Wahab, Ramos also met with Senator Walid
Iqbal, the grandson of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, and addressed the Lahore
Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI). He also visited the walled city of
Lahore and had a rickshaw ride.
Ramos also met with Information Minister Murtaza Solangi and discussed ways to
overcome misperceptions about Pakistan in the United States. He also met with
Senator Ishaq Dar, who had earlier had a Zoom meeting with Ramos, and invited
him to his chamber in the Parliament House. Dar vowed that declaring Punjab and
Sindh as sister states of New York would be one of the top priorities of the next
elected provincial governments.
The deputy speaker also met with Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab and Justice (retd)
Baqar. Wahab expressed hope that the sister-state relationship will lead to the
creation of new opportunities for people in both countries. Baqar said that he hopes
that the sister-state relationship will help to strengthen ties between Pakistan and the
United States.
Ramos also interacted with leading traders of the city at the Karachi Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and
Industry.