Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the bilateral ties between Pakistan and the U.S. are entering a new era of friendship with a resumption in close contacts between the two states.
Addressing a ceremony at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad in connection with the 249th anniversary of U.S. Independence, he said the Pakistani nation joined Americans in paying homage to America’s founding fathers, whose foresight and wisdom had changed the course of history.
Stressing that Pakistan and the U.S. enjoyed historic, long-standing and broad-based ties, he noted Washington had supported Islamabad with the construction of dams and other development projects.
On Pakistan’s recent tensions with India, he recalled he had offered to cooperate with any international credible and transparent probe into the Pahlagam incident so the world could separate reality from fiction. He said India’s subsequent aggression and attacks on civilian infrastructure in Pakistan had established that “Pahalgam incident was a false flag operation.” Had it been anything different, he maintained, India would have provided evidence of Pakistan’s involvement.
“Our sincere offer was responded with aggression but Pakistan showed a lot of tolerance and a lot of patience,” he said, noting India’s airstrikes had killed 33 Pakistanis, including children and elders. In its right to self-defense, he said, Pakistan had shot down six Indian planes. Sharif said the U.S. had been in touch with Pakistan throughout the conflict, stressing that Islamabad had always expressed a commitment to peace and de-escalation.
Appreciating the role of U.S. President Trump in achieving a ceasefire, the prime minister said he had shown beyond any doubt that he “is a man for peace, he is a man for promoting peace and beneficial business deals.” Describing Trump as a man “against escalation and a man against cold and hot war,” he said the U.S. president believed in humanity living in tranquility and contributing toward progress and prosperity.
Sharif recalled the U.S. president had advised both Pakistan and India to opt for trade and investment, not war. He appreciated Trump’s contribution in this regard, while lauding a similar role of friendly and brotherly countries of the Middle East who had proactively coordinated and supported Trump’s genuine efforts.
Extending heartfelt felicitations to U.S. President Trump and the people of the U.S. for their Independence Day on behalf of the Pakistani nation, Sharif hoped bilateral trade between the two nations would continue to grow in I.T., agriculture, education and health.
Sharif further said that Pakistan had revived and strengthened its economy, adding he was personally inspired by Trump’s vision for trade, investment and growth.