ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday welcomed Muslim congresswoman Ilhan Omar on her first visit to Pakistan while hoping that her journey to the country would lead to the deepening of people-to-people ties and strengthening of parliamentary exchanges between Pakistan and the United States.
Sworn into office in January 2019, Omar made history when she became one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to the US Congress.
She also gained popularity in Pakistan for raising her voice against the situation in Indian-administered Kashmir.
“The Prime Minister underscored that Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the United States and wanted to further deepen bilateral cooperation based on mutual respect, trust, and equality,” said a statement issued by the PM Office after the meeting. “He highlighted that constructive engagement between the two countries could help promote peace, security and development in the region.”
The prime minister emphasized the need to further enhance cooperation between the two countries in the fields of trade and investment.
He said it was important to make concerted efforts on the international level “to deal with the scourge of Islamophobia.”
The US lawmaker also held meetings with President Arif Alvi and ex-PM Imran Khan.
Former human rights minister Shireen Mazari tweeted a picture of Omar meeting former premier Khan, disclosing that the two discussed Islamophobia and related issues.
“Ilhan Omar expressed her admiration for @ImranKhanPTI & his position on & work against Islamophobia globally,” Mazari wrote in a Twitter post. “IK appreciated her courageous & principled position on issues.”
Separately, Omar met President Alvi where the latter told her that Pakistan valued its close relations with the United States.
Omar is known for raising her voice for equality and human rights around the world.
Born in Somalia, she was forced to leave her country when the Somali civil war broke out. She spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before migrating to the US in the 1990s.
Apart from holding meetings with officials and other high-profile personalities in Islamabad, she will also visit Lahore and Pakistan-administered Kashmir to get greater understanding of the country’s cultural, social, political, and economic potential.
