A new Pakistani Caucus has been formed in the U.S. Congress to be inaugurated by Pakistan’s military President General Pervez Musharraf during the leader’s current visit to the United States.

According to Shafiqur Rehman Siddiqui, director of the Pakistani American Liaison Center, the organization that, with the support of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington, helped form the Caucus, said that so far there are 26 members. Pakistan’s Deputy Ambassador Sadiq Ahmad, however, told a group of local newsmen that 60 to 80 congressmen had joined the Pakistan Caucus and that 50 more had not only expressed their readiness to join the Caucus but given written consent.

Siddiqui told the Pakistan Post that he was trying to increase the number of congressmen in the Caucus.

Sources also claimed that Siddiqui allegedly brought to the Caucus Congresswoman Sheila Jackson (D-TX), one of the most important members of the Indian Caucus, by contributing $50,000 to her fund. It is rumored that Jackson was initially offered $30,000, but when the Indian Caucus came to know about it, they pledged $40,000 to her. The Pakistan Caucus, in return, pledged $50,000 to the congresswoman.

Sources close to the Pakistan Embassy claimed that embassy officials staged this drama only to support Siddiqui and give the Caucus some political standing, which would be proven by the presence of numerous congressmen on the day of its inauguration.

A senior Pakistani diplomat based in New York, who expressed reservations about Musharraf attending the inaugural ceremony, said that everybody knows the truth behind the Caucus. He said that Pakistani Embassy officials would get nothing but shame when President Musharraf becomes aware of these maneuvers, particularly since they were done in support of a single individual.

A few years back, Shafquat Chaudhary and other distinguished Pakistani Americans in New York formed a Pakistan Caucus, which was comprised of 18 to 20 congressmen. At that time, Congressman Major Owens (D-NY), a member of the Caucus, remarked that the Pakistani community neither contributed funds to U.S. politicians nor did it make an effort to take part in mainstream American politics. Owens opined that no matter how many caucuses were formed, they would be useless without the participation of the Pakistani community. Owens is also a member of this new Caucus.