Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has emphasized the importance of structured and broad Pakistan-US engagement in advancing the bilateral and regional goals of both countries.
The premier made the remarks during a meeting with Donald Blome, the US Ambassador to Pakistan, who visited Islamabad on Thursday.
PM Shehbaz thanked the US during the meeting for its ongoing support of Pakistan’s post-flood reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts, including at the International Conference on Resilient Pakistan, which was held in Geneva just recently.
A statement released by the PM Office said that he said once more that Pakistan valued its long-standing ties to the US.
Pakistan’s determination to intensify its economic and trade ties with the United States was reiterated by the prime minister.
On the occasion, US Ambassador Blome stated that Pakistan’s post-flood recovery and the government’s efforts to promote economic development and reform would continue to receive support from the United States.
US ties with Pakistan, India ‘stand on their own’
The US State Department stated on January 24 that, despite the United States’ desire for South Asian stability, its relationships with Pakistan and India “stand on their own.”
During a press briefing on Monday, State Department spokesperson Ned Price expressed these views while discussing the strained ties between Pakistan and India and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation to Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to discuss pressing issues, such as Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu Kashmir (IIOJK).
We have long called for South Asian stability. We definitely want to see that. We want it to move forward. Our partnerships with India and Pakistan are distinct relationships that stand on their own when it comes to our partnership. Price stated, “We do not view these relationships as zero-sum.”
According to the spokesperson, the pace, scope, and nature of any dialogue between India and Pakistan are matters between those two nations.
Sustainable growth via IMF reforms
The News reported on Tuesday that Donald Blome had stated that Pakistan needed sustainable growth based on the reforms implemented by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which operates within a strict policy framework.
During his address to the members of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry, he stated that Pakistan will experience sustained growth as a result of the reforms proposed by the IMF and the World Bank.
Blome says that the US is looking for ways to ease Pakistan’s economic pressure. Pakistan exported goods worth $6.8 billion in 2022, making up $9.9 billion in bilateral trade.
He said that Pakistan needs to switch from imported fossil fuels to indigenous fuels, and that the US commerce department is looking for ways to help Pakistan. In this regard, Pakistan has a lot of potential. Through investment and consulting, the United States is assisting the nation in realizing this potential.
The US ambassador stated that climate change had a negative impact on Pakistan and that numerous US officials had visited the country’s affected areas a few weeks after the floods.
“Since then, the United States has committed $200 million to relief efforts and is attempting to assist Pakistan in overcoming the effects of climate change by implementing a flood response planning mechanism. This includes developing a resilient infrastructure,’ he stated.
Blome said that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan would be a long process that would take time. On the visa issue, he said that there would be a backlog after COVID-19 was cleared, and things would get back to normal in a few months. He said that Pakistan has a lot of untapped potential for tourism and that the United States is helping the country keep its fascinating cultural heritage.
