WASHINGTON DIARY: APPNA: a reflection of ideological variations —Dr Manzur Ejaz

Pakistani-American physicians working in rural or far-flung areas are the backbone of APPNA. The physicians and their families, cut-off from the major cities and centres of the Pakistani community, take solace in this annual gathering

The Association of Pakistani Physicians in North America (APPNA), the largest, richest and seemingly most influential organisation of Pakistani-Americans, is holding its annual conference in the first week of July. In some circles, its role is controversial because of its leadership’s close links with Pakistan’s ruling elite. However, it has evolved from a pro-government lobbying group to a big tent that houses physicians of differing persuasions from pro-jihadis to leftists, spiritualists and all other shades in between.

It is estimated that its membership is around 2,500 to 3,000 which is much smaller than its counter-part organisation of Indian physicians that has more than 10,000 members. Only one out of four physicians of Pakistani origin is a member of APPNA, which obviously means that 75 percent remain inactive with their main professional organisation. Furthermore, only a few hundred APPNA members actively participate in its various activities.

Pakistani-American physicians working in rural or far-flung areas are the backbone of APPNA. The physicians and their families, cut-off from the major cities and centres of the Pakistani community, take solace in this annual gathering. For isolated physicians and their families, APPNA’s annual conferences provide an opportunity for them to meet up with families, friends and career enhancement educational seminars. Matrimonial obligations of physicians with grown up children, are also fulfilled in this organisation. Above all, being the highest earning group of expatriates, they have to show off their new riches to someone because ‘Jungle main mor nacha kis nain daikha?’; it is quite natural and no one can fault them for this.

APPNA’s transition of leadership has been quite exemplary till recently. The main office-bearers are elected two years in advance to give them enough time to attune themselves to their organisational responsibilities. However, in the last few election cycles, the organisation has been marred with the common Pakistani malice of accusations of election frauds. A few elections were contested in the courts and nullified. In the process, the organisation has lost the moral ground that it occupied in the expatriate community.

As far as its lobbying activities are concerned, they have gone through an evolutionary process. In earlier times its leadership used to take cues from the Pakistani government and its embassy in Washington. The main thrust of the lobbying was to support military governments and try to obtain defence equipment from the US. Therefore, critics are justified in alleging that APPNA was involved in helping anti-democratic forces in Washington. However, over the years, the situation has changed.

However, lobbying successes of APPNA leaders have been somewhat exaggerated. Despite their vast financial resources, they cannot match their Indian counterparts, The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). For example, President Obama is going to attend AAPI’s annual conference this year while no high-level US official is going to be at APPNA’s convention. Furthermore, AAPI has been successful in getting their members nominated on US panels and, ironically, some of the appointed are Indian Muslims: APPNA cannot claim such a success.

Most of APPNA’s lobbying successes were piggybacking on US policies. In other words, the US government was giving certain things to Pakistan as a matter of policy and Pakistani lobbying groups, including APPNA leaders, took the credit. No Pakistani lobbying group has ever succeeded in changing the set parameters of US policy. However, some physicians have been relatively successful in sensitising US lawmakers to humanitarian abuses in Pakistan.

The main body of APPNA may still be obsessed with inviting members from the governing elites, but many other outfits organised around it promote the democratic, enlightened and humanitarian forces in Pakistan. Most of the APPNA members have strong allegiance to their respective alumni association: almost every medical college has its alumni organisation as part of the APPNA structure. Some of these alumni associations use their space to promote progressive causes. This is how the leaders of the movement for an independent judiciary, like Aitzaz Ahsan, all have been invited to annual gatherings. Dissidents like Dr Pervez Hoodbhoy are invited even this year. I have been invited by various alumni over the years. I have found that the Dow Medical College Alumni is relatively more enlightened, accommodating progressive ideas and programmes.

Over the years, I have seen that a younger generation of Pakistani-American physicians has been trying to use the APPNA platform for the betterment of common Pakistani citizens. Dr Aijaz Turk, Dr Maqbool Halepota, Dr Naseem Shekhani, Dr Sultan Hayat, Dr Babar Cheema, Dr Zafar Iqbal, Dr Mohammad Taqi and Dr Mithal Vakassi are a few names that come to mind, people I have known for their struggle for progressive causes. There must be many others like them in the organisation. Therefore, one should not paint the character of APPNA with a wide brush: it is an organisation that has all kinds of trends reflecting the ideological variations back home.

The writer can be reached at manzurejaz@yahoo.com