Ever since the announcement of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s official working visit to the United States a couple of weeks ago, there were numerous speculations regarding his accommodation, travel plans and prospects of interactions with Washington DC’s movers and shakers, including key members of the Pakistani-American community. While some of these speculations fizzled out when he chose to adopt simplicity measures, what’s more striking and unexpected was his public address at the city’s Capital One Arena on Sunday evening. The event was historic by a long shot owing to thousands of Pakistani-Americans and other overseas Pakistanis flocking to attend the rally. With an estimated attendance between twenty to thirty thousand people (apart from the approximate seating capacity of 23,000 attendees), it was the largest gathering for a Pakistani leader on foreign soil in the country’s 72 years long history. This was something no one ever imagined which is a game changing feat on its own merits. His ascension to power last August meant that things could change, albeit gradually. While the promises are yet to be fulfilled since there are some severe governance issues piling up over the past several months, one thing is certain: the man cannot be written off as a politician regardless of what his opponents claim. From what was gathered through interactions with the diaspora and diplomatic circles in the US, the atmosphere in Washington is electrified and chances of a much-needed thaw in US-Pakistan relations are high. Evidently, commencing the rally on the eve of Khan-Trump summit at the White House was a strategic decision by Khan’s political allies based in the US. It projected him as a global brand and made his rally the number one hashtag trend worldwide on Twitter. Indeed, it could be termed as an eloquent projection of soft power. However, due credit goes to the Pakistani-American community which worked day and night to achieve this goal. As for the role of the Foreign Office, it needs to up the ante in its efforts to contain Pakistan’s battered image on global scale. Overseas Pakistanis are the biggest assets if their services are fully utilised in promoting cultural and public diplomacy. Students, academics and local entrepreneurs of Pakistani-origin are the backbone of the community. It is they who are at the forefront and have the potential to change the dynamics of bilateral relations in any part of the world. The rally proved that national unity is the need of the hour at a time when the country is at the crossroads of geopolitics. The Afghan endgame, humanitarian crisis in Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (IoK) and US-Iranian standoff are some of the most pressing issues which need to be tackled through astute diplomatic measures. *