The Houston-Karachi Sister City Association (HKSCA) marked a significant milestone in advancing U.S.-Pakistan relations through a high-level meeting between HKSCA President Muhammad Saeed Sheikh and U.S. Consul General Scott Urbom at the U.S. Consulate in Karachi.
The meeting centered on exploring avenues to expand trade, foster economic cooperation, and develop long-term, sustainable partnerships between the two nations. President Sheikh was joined in discussions by senior consulate officials including Kevin Furey (Economic Unit Chief), Tony Jones (Director of Public Engagement), and Tashfen Mehdi (Commercial Specialist at the U.S. Commercial Service).
A major highlight of the dialogue was the planning and upcoming organization of the PAK-USA Business and Investment Forum in Houston. The initiative, being developed in collaboration with the Pakistan Consulate General in Houston and various organizational partners, aims to deepen bilateral commercial ties and encourage future trade delegations of government officials and business leaders.
During the visit, the contributions of the Houston-Karachi Sister City Association and its strategic partners—Alliance for Disaster Relief and Helping Hands for Relief and Development—were recognized for their impactful work in humanitarian aid, environmental initiatives, scholarship programs for Pakistani students, and hosting of business delegations. These achievements reflect meaningful civic collaboration, made possible by the tireless efforts and generous support of Chief Patron Syed Javaid Anwar.
Consul General Scott Urbom reaffirmed the U.S. Consulate’s commitment to strengthening people-to-people connections and supporting shared development objectives. The meeting concluded with optimism and a mutual vision for deepening future cooperation between the two cities and nations.
