WASHINGTON
\nPakistan\u2019s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan says Pakistan is keen to have strategic, political and economic ties with the United States and right now we are investing in bilateral diplomacy to achieve these objectives.
\nSpeaking at the renowned World Affairs Council\u2019 in Seattle he said both countries are enjoying natural aspirational relationship not an artificial or crafted.
\n\u201cBut\u201d, he added, \u201cit is the people of Pakistan and the United States who provide the real strength to Pak-US relations.\u201d
\nThe presence of 1 million Pakistanis in the United States, comprising mostly of professionals, was \u201ca strong bond and an abiding link\u2019 between the two countries, he said.
\nAmbassador Asif Chaudhry, a former ambassador at State Department and Vice President for International Programmes at Washington State University, moderated the event.
\nThe roots of the Pak-US relationship were deep, and during the past year the two countries have clarified their intent to continue their cooperation in strategic stability, regional security and counter-terrorism, he said. \u201cAt the same time, we were promoting closer ties in trade, investment, agriculture, health, education and energy sectors.\u201d
\n\u201cThe climate change is a shared challenge for both the United States and Pakistan and there exists a huge scope of expanding our relationship in building a climate resilient infrastructure in Pakistan,\u201d the Pakistani envoy said. \u201cI remain confident that Pakistan and the United States remain relevant to each other in the years to come.\u201d
\nOn strengthening bilateral economic ties and investment climate in Pakistan, the Ambassador highlighted COVID-19, fuel and food hyperinflation and the recent devastating floods as the major debilitating factors that affected Pakistan\u2019s economy. He, however, emphasized that the economic prospects in Pakistan were \u201cbullish\u201d.
\n\u201cThe fundamentals of our economy are good. We will bounce back. We are part of international economic mainstream.\u201d
\nEncouraging business community to invest in Pakistan, Masood Khan highlighted recent impressive growth of the country in tech sector and 64% of the youth population below the age of 30 as a valuable asset of the country.
\nOn a question about Pak-India relations, the Ambassador, while regretting absence of any communication between the two nuclear-armed neighbors, said that Pakistan was ready to talk but India has preferred non-engagement in recent past.
\n\u201cWe want the United States and particularly the US civil society to get involved, use its leverage to persuade New Delhi into a dialogue with Pakistan for resolving long-standing issues, especially Jammu and Kashmir dispute, on a negotiating table,\u201d he said.
\nOn Pak-Afghan relations, the Ambassador said that there was a volatility in bilateral relations owing to hideouts of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan.
\nMasood Khan reiterated Pakistan\u2019s principled stance that it would not tolerate terrorism in any form against Pakistan.
\nThe ambassador said inclusive government, protection of rights of girls and women and counter-terrorism were shared objectives of both Pakistan and the United States vis-\u00e0-vis Afghanistan.
\nOn recent floods in Pakistan, Masood Khan said that Pakistan needed the international community\u2019s solidarity and support in the wake of devastating floods last year.
\nHe said that Pakistan was grateful to the international community for the support provided to the country at the recent Geneva Conference.
\nHe thanked the United States for announcing US$100 million, in addition to US$ 100 million already contributed for flood response, food security and capacity building.
\nThe Ambassador concluded his remarks by urging the audience \u2014 both present in-person as well as attending the event virtually \u2014 to have faith in Pakistan; to have faith in Pak-US relations and also to play their part in removing misgivings about the two countries and its people. \u201cMisperceptions should be replaced by genuine positive images and perceptions,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
WASHINGTON Pakistan\u2019s Ambassador to the United States Masood Khan says Pakistan is keen to have strategic, political and economic ties with the United States and right now we are investing in bilateral diplomacy to achieve these objectives. Speaking at the renowned World Affairs Council\u2019 in Seattle he said both countries are enjoying natural aspirational relationship […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":307550,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-307526","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n