Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Ahsan Iqbal has said that the United States should harmonize its relations with Pakistan keeping in view its developmental needs.
Addressing a press conference in Washington, he said that it is high time for Pakistan and the United States to establish their relations on basis of mutual respect and economic development. “The relations between both the countries are on new juncture.”
“As United States is the biggest export market for Pakistan, it can play an important role in developing human resource of Pakistan,” he added.
He said, after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, both the countries witnessed coldness in relations apparently. But with this both the countries felt that ties between them were imperative for durable peace in this region.
The minister said, in past, relations between the two countries would revolve around security circle and as a result when that security scenario was relevant, the ties were good and touching heights but when the geo-strategic scenario changed the relations would witnessed coldness. So there is need to develop these relations based on mutual respect and on the basis of economy and development, he stressed.
He said, US should harmonize its relations with Pakistan keeping in view its developmental needs whereas Pakistan should also consider America as development partner and not only security partner.
He said America was biggest export market for Pakistan and was also source of investment for it while US can also play an important role in developing human resource of Pakistan and play an import role in the progress and prosperity of the country. He said, Japan, china, South Korea etc got thousands of their human resource trained in US, who on return worked for progress and prosperity. However, unfortunately Pakistan could not take this benefit. He said, when PML (N) was in power back in 2017, US-Pakistan Knowledge .— NNI
