The American Pakistan Foundation (APF) was founded in 2009 by Pakistani American community members who wanted to create a platform for giving back to Pakistan and to the United States. At the time, relations between the United States and Pakistan remained predominantly shaped by terrorism challenges in South Asia, the impact of which took a heavy toll on the bilateral relationship and on the identities of thousands of American citizens of Pakistani descent.The founding members of APF joined hands with American and Pakistani leaders from all walks of life to develop the first ever 501c3 organization that would cultivate a nuanced and comprehensive approach to the connections between the two countries.