The outgoing ambassador of the United States (US), Donald Blome is completing his diplomatic term in Pakistan leaving behind a legacy of goodwill, mutual understanding and enduring partnership.
It goes to Ambassador Blome that he tried his best to restore the Pakistani people and the government’s confidence in the United States as the relations between the two countries were adversely damaged by the allegations of former Prime Minister Imran Khan that the US was behind his fall.
In his official and private meetings with the officials of the government and members of the business community, academia, media and other segments of society, Ambassador Blome repeatedly emphasized that the US had no role in installing or toppling a government in Pakistan.
Forming or dissolving a government is purely an internal matter of Pakistan and the US had nothing to do with it, he made a point in those meetings.
As ambassador of a country that once was Pakistan’s close ally in the region, Donald Blome played a pivotal role in facilitating the Pakistan government’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and paved the way for an amicable solution/agreement. He also held frequent meetings with the business community representatives of Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Sialkot and other cities of the country and actively got engaged with them on revival of exports.
Mr Donald Blome’s interest in Pakistan’s rich heritage and cultural diversity took him to the historical places and in his own words, “I met the people and visited the places to take along with me golden memories that I would continue to cherish for a long time.” His picture with the Pakistani squad that was in the US to play in T20 World Cup tournament is still a vivid memory enhancing his image of a Pakistan-friendly envoy.
Ambassador Blome not only visited the iconic places and historical points, he also interacted with the youth of Pakistan and delivered lectures at the colleges and universities. Particularly, his interest in girls’ education particularly those belonging to the remote areas of Pakistan was legendary and he undertook this mission since the day he took charge as head of the US mission.In December 2022, he launched along a $4 million initiative to improve education for girls in remote areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). Besides, the USAID scholarships to talented, economically-strained students to pursue higher education degrees is also something he is leaving behind as a golden legacy.USAID also supports Pakistani public sector universities to improve the quality and relevance of their degree programmes.
Moreover, the US embassy organized a number of events to boost girls’ personality and enhance their confidence. These events were organized not only by the US embassy in Islamabad but also by the US consulates in Karachi and Lahore. Last but not the least, Ambassador Blome’s taste for the Pakistani food also made him popular with the people. Recently, a video went viral that showed him visiting ‘Phajja’ in Lahore to eat the savoury ‘Sri Paye’ ‘head & foot.’ In short officially and publicly both, Donald Blome won the hearts of the Pakistanis and they wish him a very bright future for the days to come.
