PM Shahbaz Sharif has urged the US not to look at relations with Pakistan through the lens of Afghanistan or China, as the relationship between the two countries should stand on its own.
Addressing a reception organized by the US Embassy to celebrate 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries at the Diplomatic Enclave on Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that he remains the most ardent supporter of friendship between Pakistan and the US. are
“Let bygones be bygones […] as long as we have serious dialogue, we cannot go wrong,” the prime minister noted.
The Prime Minister maintained that it was time for the two countries to move on and find ways to warm ties to past levels, The News reported.
The Prime Minister said that during the long journey of 75 years, Pakistan-US relations reached a peak but there were many declines.
“We know the reasons but this is not the right time to recall them. Of course there is a file from your side and a file from our side but if we have to move forward then we have to find ways to warm up. Our relations are at the level we have seen in the past.
The Prime Minister said that he wants to say this very sincerely today: We really want to restore these relations to normal and friendly relations based on trust, respect and mutual understanding.
“We want to go back to the glorious times when our relations with the US had their status. I will work with all my heart for those relations,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Talking about his recent visit to New York, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said that he had many productive meetings in America, including meetings with President Joe Biden and Secretary Antony Blanken.
He thanked the US leadership for the program announced for the flood affected people.
He referred to aid and assistance from the United States over the years and lamented that the $32 billion aid given by the United States in the past was not spent in the right direction.
“If we had used this aid well planned and with proper supervision, we would have broken our begging bowl. But then there is no point crying over spilled milk.
Pakistan wants to stand on its own feet
Prime Minister Shehbaz emphasized that Pakistan wanted to “stand on its own feet”.
He said that when Pakistan was facing the worst kind of outage, the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif decided to invest in 5000 MW of electricity from his meager resources.
“Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar opposed tooth and nail saying that I don’t have money […] He had a fair point of his own. Prime Minister Nawaz wondered what we are getting on the CPEC projects. “
“Don’t delay it because if there is another sit-in then the CPEC program will derail and we won’t be able to show anything to the people of Pakistan till the 2018 elections,” he said.
Interestingly, Senator Darr was sitting in front of him among the guests. The Prime Minister said that as a result of this decision, we got 5,000 MW of electricity and 3,500 MW of it was installed by GE. He said that the plants were installed in the fastest possible time.
‘Destruction beyond power’
Referring to the floods in Pakistan, he said that this disaster was not caused by Pakistan because it is a developing country.
Pakistan is a very strong country. People are very hardworking. Our population is 50% male and 50% female. There is complete freedom of action. America is our biggest trading partner,” he said.
“The catastrophic situation was not created by us, it is man-made but not by us. Around 1,600 people have died, including 400 children. More than a million mud houses have been thrown into the Arabian Sea,” the PM said.
“People are living under the open sky waiting for help, it is my duty to help but what we do will not be enough.”
He urged the US and the international community to stand with Pakistan in this difficult time. “This is our right. We did not bring this upon ourselves.”
He added that this year’s floods in Pakistan were an “overwhelming disaster”. The gap between demand and supply was widening by the hour and this was only the first phase, Shahbaz highlighted.
“The final phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation is yet to come. But it costs money and so I appeal to you once again that now we need the international community to stand with us and our support
He clarified that the government is not asking for money but for relief, funds for infrastructure reconstruction, employment, livelihood, trade, commerce and exports.
America stands with Pakistan.
In his speech, the American ambassador said that the people of America stand with Pakistan.
He added that the strength of the bilateral friendship was reflected in the more than $66 million in US aid for the flood response.
“We are doing what friends and partners do – stand by each other when it is most needed… Our partnership has been mutually beneficial,” he said.
Over the decades, more than $32 billion in US aid has benefited Pakistan and improved the lives of the Pakistani people, the ambassador added.
Bloom emphasized that America’s relationship with Pakistan deserves to stand on its own.
The US envoy said that Pakistan-US relations are necessarily broad-based and very important for both our countries, the region and the world.
“It is not apart from any other regional relationship, and it doesn’t need to be.”
At a moment of great change, the United States and Pakistan need to define a partnership that advances our common interests and meets our mutual, ambitious goals, he said.
Two former ambassadors of Pakistan to the US Sherry Rehman and Dr. Maleeha Lodhi and federal ministers were among the guests.
The reception began with a minute’s silence to condole the deaths and mourn those who lost their livelihoods in the devastating floods across the country.
