Moin ul Haque, Pakistan’s consul general in Vancouver, has just published an op-ed in the Vancouver Sun newspaper, after participating as a member of Team Pakistan in the annual Sun Run. The Vancouver consulate, and the Lower Mainland’s Pakistani community as a whole, has been very supportive of my own work over the past year-plus, and I have a high regard for Moin and other Pakistani and Pakistani-Canadian friends in Vancouver and Surrey.

Here’s an excerpt from Moin’s article:

“Threat to world security — a preposterous notion. But what about the security of the Pakistani people who have suffered for decades due to foreign interventions in our region? The pivotal role Pakistan played in helping the international community during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and then following the ugly episode of 9/11 has long been forgotten. …

“Pakistan is perhaps one of the most misunderstood and misreported country in the world today. …

“With an abundance of skilled and English-speaking workers, a growing consumer society and attractive government incentives, Pakistan remains an untapped and hidden secret for foreign investors, especially in telecommunication, energy, oil and gas, infrastructure, housing and financial sectors. Major foreign companies, including Canadian giants like Barrick Gold and SNC-Lavalin, are operating there.”