PR No. 23 AHSAN IQBAL CALLS ON US TO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE IN GAZA AND KASH

Federal Minister Prof Ahsan Iqbal was honored as the Chief Guest at the celebration of the 248th anniversary of American independence hosted by the American Embassy in Islamabad on Tuesday evening. While addressing a gathering of diplomats, business leaders, and academics to celebrate US Independence Day, the minister emphasized the resilience of 76 years long Pak-US partnership. He cited examples of cooperation in the fields of education, trade, IT, disaster mitigation and social sector. He emphasized the importance of nurturing and deepening these relationships for mutual benefit. He also spoke about critical issues related to human rights, conveying the hopes and aspirations of the Pakistani people from the U.S. government to support and aid in ending the conflict and violence in Gaza, as well as to endorse the democratic right of self-determination for the people of Jammu and Kashmir emphasizing the significance of peaceful resolutions to these conflicts. The event underscored the ongoing commitment of both nations to foster strong diplomatic relations and addressing global challenges in a collaborative manner. He appreciated US support to advance education, IT infrastructure, agriculture technology and disaster mitigation in Pakistan. He specifically thanked US for its assistance to Pakistan to recover from the effects of 2022 floods. Referring to 1960s Green Revolution in Pakistan, he spoke that significant progress in agricultural field was made possible through the warm support from US. He also suggested that Pakistan is in need of a Green Revolution 2.0 that ensures food and climate security. The Minister announced that bilateral trade between Pakistan and the US exceeded $12 billion in 2023, with Pakistani exports reaching $6 billion. He expressed his ambition to diversify trade in sectors like textiles, agriculture, and technology, and to expand exports to the US market, particularly in IT services and pharmaceuticals. He also highlighted Pakistan's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem and the potential for start-up collaborations, venture capital investments, and innovation hubs to drive technological advancements. The Minister shared his personal experience of studying at The Wharton School in Pennsylvania in the 80s and praised American universities for their significant role in driving economic development through innovation and entrepreneurship. He also mentioned the US-Pakistan Knowledge Corridor initiative launched in 2013, which aims to train 10,000 Ph.D. scholars in top US universities over ten years. Concluding his remarks, the Minister quoted Martin Luther King Jr., saying, "We may have all come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now." He wished prosperity, progress, and peace to the people of the United States on behalf of the people and government of Pakistan.

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