Pakistani-American National Alliance (PANA)
January 20, 2003 Teleconference Minutes

Agenda:

1. INS Registration Status Review
2. Action Plan Update and Modification
3. Thinking Beyond INS Registration
4. Meetings with various departments and agencies
5. Open

Participating Organizations

1. Mr. Asif Alam, Association of Pakistani Professionals (AOPP)
2. Mr. Raja Yaqub, Chicago Council of Pakistani Organizations (CCPO)
3. Mr. Ahmed Ali, Council of Pakistani American Affairs (COPAA)
4. Mr. Imtiaz Rahi, Federation of American-Pakistani Associations (FAPA)
5. Mr. Naim Baig, Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA)
6. Dr. Agha Saeed, Pakistan American Democratic Forum (PADF)
7. Dr. Jamshaid Uppal, Pakistan Association of Greater Washington (PAGW)
8. Mr. Syed Basharat Ali, Pakistan Community Association of New Orleans (PCANO)
9. Dr. Saud Anwar, Pakistani American Association of Connecticut (PAACT)
10. Dr. Riaz Ahmed, Pakistani American Congress (PAC)
11. Mr. Imtiaz Rahi, Mr. Zaheer Mohsin, Pakistani American Society of Long Island (PASLI)

Observer Organization

Dr. Muhammad Suleman, Association of Pakistani Physicians of North America (APPNA)

Decisions

It was unanimously decided to expand and refocus the PANA Action Plan into three main areas:

1)      Continued lobbying of the US Government at the highest levels to seek waiver for minor infractions

2)      PANA meetings with high-level officials of the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, State, and NSC. Dr. Agha Saeed will write letters and make follow up calls to set up these meetings.

3)      Each group will ask friendly elected officials to send letters in support of PANA's request for meeting with Attorney General John Ashcroft, Gov. Ridge and other Departmental Heads.

4)      Each group will collect at least one signature from a US Congressperson or Senator on a joint letter addressed to Attorney General John Ashcroft. All groups will continue to work on petitions, phone calls and e-mails to the White House and Justice Department.

5)      Each organization will make its own arrangements to meet with the local INS district directors to obtain guarantees of professional, respectful, and non-hostile treatment of non-immigrant Muslims.

6)      Each organization will continue to implement PANA's relief efforts in the following four areas: 1) tracking, 2) bails, 3) expedited deportation of those placed under removal proceedings, and 4) moral and financial support for the families of detainees.