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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Members of the Pakistani American community are |
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gathering in Austin on March 20, 2023, for Pakistan Day of Action at |
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the State Capitol; and |
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WHEREAS, Located in the northwest region of the Indo-Pak |
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subcontinent, Pakistan encompasses the Indus Valley and other areas |
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near the Indus River, which were home to some of the world's |
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earliest civilizations; emigration from the region dates as far |
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back as 3,000 B.C.; Pakistan became an independent country in 1947, |
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and Pakistani emigrants have made invaluable contributions to |
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countries around the globe; and |
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WHEREAS, Pakistan and the United States have shared seven and |
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a half decades of diplomatic relations, which have included such |
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events as Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson's 1961 visit to |
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Pakistan, President Mohammad Ayub Khan's 1961 State visit to the |
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U.S., during which he addressed a joint session of the Texas |
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Legislature as well as a joint meeting of Congress, President |
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Lyndon B. Johnson's 1967 visit to Pakistan, President Muhammed Zia |
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ul-Haq's 1982 State visit to the U.S., during which he visited |
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Houston, and President George W. Bush's 2006 visit to Pakistan; |
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highlighting Pakistani, American and Texan hospitality, the visits |
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were momentous occasions in the history of U.S. and Pakistan |
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relations; and |
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WHEREAS, Today, more than 600,000 Pakistani Americans reside |
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in the U.S., and Texas is home to over 87,000 individuals of |
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Pakistani heritage, with large populations of Pakistani Texans |
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residing in the state's major metropolitan areas, including Austin, |
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Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio; and |
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WHEREAS, The U.S. is Pakistan's largest trading partner, and |
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Texas makes up the fourth-largest portion of that bilateral trade; |
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Texas and Pakistan benefit from a number of mutual exchanges, |
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including the ATX+PAK Entrepreneurship program and the |
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U.S.-Pakistan Women's Council Future of Women in Energy Scholars |
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program; moreover, partnerships between The University of Texas at |
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Austin and several universities in Pakistan, such as the National |
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College of Art in Lahore, the University of Karachi, the National |
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Academy of Performing Arts in Karachi, and the Fatima Jinnah Women |
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University in Islamabad, have resulted in faculty and student |
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exchanges in the fields of film studies, music, performing arts, |
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and social sciences; and |
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WHEREAS, Pakistan has one of the world's youngest |
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populations, with about 63 percent of the nation's citizens being |
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between the ages of 15 and 33; Texas businesses can utilize the |
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country's highly skilled young professionals to advance the state's |
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economy, particularly in the information technology and biotech |
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industries; and |
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WHEREAS, Members of the Pakistani American community |
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contribute to the vibrancy and prosperity of the Lone Star State in |
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myriad ways, and the participants in this advocacy day are |
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demonstrating their commitment to making an even more positive |
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impact through active civic engagement; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas |
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Legislature hereby recognize Pakistan Day of Action at the State |
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Capitol on March 20, 2023, and extend a warm welcome to the Consul |
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General of Pakistan, the Pakistani American Collaborative of Texas, |
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the Pakistani Society of North Texas, the Pakistani Association of |
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Greater Houston, and the other members of the visiting delegation. |