By: Bhojani H.R. No. 600
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Members of the Pakistani American community are
gathering in Austin on March 20, 2023, for Pakistan Day of Action at
the State Capitol; and
WHEREAS, Located in the northwest region of the Indo-Pak
subcontinent, Pakistan encompasses the Indus Valley and other areas
near the Indus River, which were home to some of the world's
earliest civilizations; emigration from the region dates as far
back as 3,000 B.C.; Pakistan became an independent country in 1947,
and Pakistani emigrants have made invaluable contributions to
countries around the globe; and
WHEREAS, Pakistan and the United States have shared seven and
a half decades of diplomatic relations, which have included such
events as Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson's 1961 visit to
Pakistan, President Mohammad Ayub Khan's 1961 State visit to the
U.S., during which he addressed a joint session of the Texas
Legislature as well as a joint meeting of Congress, President
Lyndon B. Johnson's 1967 visit to Pakistan, President Muhammed Zia
ul-Haq's 1982 State visit to the U.S., during which he visited
Houston, and President George W. Bush's 2006 visit to Pakistan;
highlighting Pakistani, American and Texan hospitality, the visits
were momentous occasions in the history of U.S. and Pakistan
relations; and
WHEREAS, Today, more than 600,000 Pakistani Americans reside
in the U.S., and Texas is home to over 87,000 individuals of
Pakistani heritage, with large populations of Pakistani Texans
residing in the state's major metropolitan areas, including Austin,
Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio; and
WHEREAS, The U.S. is Pakistan's largest trading partner, and
Texas makes up the fourth-largest portion of that bilateral trade;
Texas and Pakistan benefit from a number of mutual exchanges,
including the ATX+PAK Entrepreneurship program and the
U.S.-Pakistan Women's Council Future of Women in Energy Scholars
program; moreover, partnerships between The University of Texas at
Austin and several universities in Pakistan, such as the National
College of Art in Lahore, the University of Karachi, the National
Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi, and the Fatima Jinnah Women
University in Islamabad, have resulted in faculty and student
exchanges in the fields of film studies, music, performing arts,
and social sciences; and
WHEREAS, Pakistan has one of the world's youngest
populations, with about 63 percent of the nation's citizens being
between the ages of 15 and 33; Texas businesses can utilize the
country's highly skilled young professionals to advance the state's
economy, particularly in the information technology and biotech
industries; and
WHEREAS, Members of the Pakistani American community
contribute to the vibrancy and prosperity of the Lone Star State in
myriad ways, and the participants in this advocacy day are
demonstrating their commitment to making an even more positive
impact through active civic engagement; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby recognize Pakistan Day of Action at the State
Capitol on March 20, 2023, and extend a warm welcome to the Consul
General of Pakistan, the Pakistani American Collaborative of Texas,
the Pakistani Society of North Texas, the Pakistani Association of
Greater Houston, and the other members of the visiting delegation.