Pak-US relations should stand 'on their own': PM Shehbaz

Islamabad: Pakistan’s relations with the United States stood “on their own” and shouldn't be seen through the “prism of Afghanistan” or the “lens of China”, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif Thursday said. 

“Let bygones be bygones,” the premier said at a diplomatic reception held at the US embassy in Islamabad to commemorate the 75 years of relations between Pakistan and the US.

The reception started with a one-minute silence to express condolence over the death of people and convey grief to those who had lost their livelihood in the devastating floods.

The federal ministers and US Ambassador in Pakistan Donald Blome attended the reception.

PM Shehbaz stressed that it was time for the two countries to move forward and find ways to warm up the relationship to levels seen in the past.

وزیراعظم شہباز شریف کا پاکستان-امریکا سفارتی تعلقات کے 75 سال مکمل ہونے کی تقریب سے خطاب۔ https://t.co/zhxmw49Ul3

— PML(N) (@pmln_org) September 29, 2022

Talking about support and aid from the US over the years, the prime minister expressed regret that aid worth $32 billion contributed by the country in the past was not spent “in the right direction”.

He thanked the United States for its humanitarian assistance of $ 56 million for the flood-hit people.

The US would be supporting Pakistan with another $ 10 million for the flood ravaged population, he mentioned.

The prime minister appreciated the assistance delivered by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to the flood affectees, adding still there was a yawning gap between the needs of flood victims and the aid being provided to them.

He said some 1,600 people lost their lives in the floods and more than 400 of them were children. Four million acres of standing crops, including cotton, rice, sugarcane and date palm, perished; a million houses were destroyed, more than a million livestock drowned and life savings of people vanished in the flood waters.

He said Pakistan wanted to build back a resilient and adaptive infrastructure with the help of the international community, in the areas devastated by floods.

The PM said the United States was the first country to recognize Pakistan after its independence and at one time Pakistan received assistance of “wheat parcels” from the US.

He said the two countries had a long journey of friendship which saw its high and low points. He underlined the need to reset ties, based on trust, respect and mutual understanding.

“If we have to move forward and we have to find ways and means to warm up our relations. Our relations should not be seen through the prism of Afghanistan and lens of China.

“We want to be back to the wonderful time when the US-Pakistan relations were not beholden to others but had their own standing.”

Shehbaz Sharif recalled that when Pakistan was facing the worst kind of power shortages, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif decided to generate 5000 megawatts of electricity despite difficult economic conditions.

Then General Electric – a blue chip company of the United States helped Pakistan in generating 3500 megawatts and it was the most transparent project with low cost and the plants were installed in the fastest possible time.

He said the United States was the largest trading partner of Pakistan.

He assured that he would be the most ardent supporter of normal and friendly relations between Pakistan and the United States and said the two countries should undertake “sincere and serious” dialogue to take forward their bilateral cooperation and leave behind what had happened in the past.

He recalled his and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s recent meetings with US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken and said the interactions were reassuring for the two sides.

He reminded that if the aid of $ 32 billion given to Pakistan by the US in the past would have been spent in the right manner, his country would have broken the begging bowl.

He said the people of Pakistan were educated, very brave and hard working and they would lead Pakistan to economic prosperity.

In his address, the US ambassador said the people of the United States continued to stand with Pakistan.

The strength of the bilateral friendship is demonstrated by the more than $66 million in US support for flood response, he added.

“We are doing what friends and partners do – support each other when it’s needed most… Our partnership has been advantageous to both countries,” he remarked according to a US embassy press release. 

Over the decades, more than $32 billion dollars in U.S. support benefited Pakistan and improved the lives of the Pakistani people, the ambassador added.

On the occasion, US Ambassador Donald Blome also met the prime minister and discussed the matters related to the bilateral relations and cooperation.

SOURCE: APP