Ms. Elizabeth Horst, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
Mr. Michael Kugleman,
Mr. Gazanfar Hashmi,
Distinguished participants.
Good Morning!
I thank the South Asia Institute of Wilson Center and the International Academy of Letters for hosting this event. I want to pay a special tribute to you, Ms. Horst, for working tirelessly to steer the United States-Pakistan relations to a higher plane. We are grateful to the United States’ prompt and generous help to Pakistan for flood and Covid response.
A strong tree needs strong roots; and so does a relationship between two nations to make it thrive and weather the storms. To look at the future of Pakistan-US relations, it would be valuable to cast a brief glance at the origin of our relations.
In his message to the Quaid-i-Azam, whom he called the originator of the dream that became Pakistan, President Harry S. Truman said on August 14, 1947: “The American people anticipate a long history of close and cordial relations (with Pakistan).” Twelve years later, on December 2, 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower, while addressing a reception held in his honour in Karachi, uttered historic words that sound so true even today. He said:
“Our two countries both believe in human dignity and the brotherhood of man under God. And both of us are determined to be strong – spiritually, materially, militarily – not merely to ensure present security but also that we may be in a better position confidently and effectively to search out the paths to world peace with justice. Our two countries are staunch allies, each to the other.’’
Pakistan was born out of an idea: Muslims of the subcontinent will have a separate homeland to enjoy the universal values of freedom, equity and social justice. All its citizens shall be equal before the law, without discrimination and domination. All these norms would be promoted through democracy. Peace in the region will be our lodestar. The quest for these ideals continues.
The American Revolution in the 18th century was a milestone in the political evolution of mankind when the valiant American people and their visionary leaders founded a state on the basis a powerful idea: equality of all people enjoying the inalienable rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. In so doing, the Americans jettisoned the so-called divine right of monarchs and embraced the principles of democracy and constitutionalism.
This confluence of ideas and values, more than anything else, binds us together as peoples. I like the US Embassy in Islamabad’s rendition on US-Pakistan relations. Invoking the Quaid-i-Azam’s famous quote “Democracy is in our blood”, it says: “Democracy is in the blood of Pakistan, as it is in the blood of the United States, and our two countries must continue to demand and work toward the achievement of our highest democratic ideals.”
Pakistan and the US made choices when we decided to enter into an alliance to advance our shared strategic purposes, roll back aggression in Afghanistan and combat terrorism. You take either ally out of this equation and the outcomes would be very different. Over the past six decades, we have been partners in peacekeeping in Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. We are, and we should be, proud of this legacy because over the decades we have worked together for regional and global peace and security.
We owe a lot to the United States for helping us in the foundational phase of our statehood as we built our defense capabilities and economic muscles.
Both or countries have given sacrifices in blood and treasure. The US lost thousands in the war on terror; we lost more than 80,000 – civilians and soldiers. The wounds are fresh and we know defense of freedoms is always costly.
My purpose is not to dwell on the past but to identify the anchors that bind us together and ensure continuity by building on commonalities, while navigating new realties instead of abandoning the past paradigm.
Let me turn to the recent past.
Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Washington and Islamabad were rife with speculation that the US-Pakistan alliance would collapse as it had run its course. It has no future, said the sceptics. That did not happen.
After a brief period of uncertainty, the two states set off to recalibrate and rejuvenate their relations in changing circumstances. The results in a short span of time are impressive, though we have a long way to go.
Both sides have decided that they would retain their security cooperation framework to promote stability in Afghanistan, counter terrorism and foster regional security.
In that domain, one notable change is that the US has declared it would not see Pakistan through the prism of Afghanistan, India and even China. And both sides have affirmed that they would work for a stand-alone, broad-based relationship that will stand on its own.
That does not mean that Pakistan’s role as a key regional actor will be stunted;what it means is that the US-Pakistan ties need not be mostly security-centric; and that human development and human security will gain pre-eminence.
In the past several months, resolute efforts have been made by both sides to scale up their economic partnership. In addition to the frequent contacts between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister and Secretary Blinken to reset the relationship, high level dialogues have been held on health, energy, climate change, counter-narcotics, counterterrorism and defense. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Ministerial Council met after a gap of seven years.
These processes are producing results and defining a pathway for future growth. They are also creating a structure for an overarching, multi-dimensional dialogue.
Delegations are travelling back and forth. We are back in business. (Elizabeth Horst is busy and keeps us busy.)
In the past, the US has helped Pakistan in building large hydropower dams. Today we are leveraging America’s proven strengths to generate green energy, especially solar and wind power. There is immense scope for its expansion with the increasing involvement of the US public and private sectors.
Similarly, reminiscent of the Green Revolution of the 1960s, the US has launched the Green Alliance that would help us in modernizing agriculture and producing climate resilient hybrid seeds and higher yield crops.
All these measures would prepare us to respond effectively to climate-induced disasters and keep ourselves in step with fast transforming global economy. In the wake of last year’s devastating floods, the US has become our partner in building a climate-resilient, inclusive economy, with emphasis on food security, health, women empowerment, social protection and infrastructure development.
There is already an economic connectivity between the US and Pakistan. We are not starting from scratch. The US is our largest export market and a steady foreign direct investor. Some 80 US enterprises operating in Pakistan find Pakistani and its neighboring markets profitable. In future, we foresee the US catalyzing Pakistan’s integration into the global supply chains. The areas mature for such cooperation are agriculture, biotechnology, medicine, manufacturing and tech industry.
Out of which, tech startups, supported by US venture capital firms, have seen rapid growth in Pakistan in the past two years. Last year our IT exports to the US crossed $1 billion mark. Well, that’s a beginning.
Despite its current difficulties, which we would overcome, Pakistan’s economy should be seen as part of a regional business ecosystem, with Pakistan as a hub, a conduit and a destination for trade and investment. With 230 million people, geographical expanse and a long coastline, Pakistan abuts Central Asia; and its market networks extend to West Asia, the Middle East and North Africa. Its increasing human capital is joining international mainstream and 130 million youth make it the next vibrant business pivot.
We are working towards internal stability and economic viability. We are also streamlining our regulatory regime, standardizing and enforcing intellectual property rights, improving ease of doing business and promoting entrepreneurship.
Pakistan and the United States have twin bonds that will always sustain their relations: nearly a million Pakistani-Americans and thousands of Pakistani students and professionals who, after having studied in premier American institutions, have contributed to Pakistan’s governance and economy. Both sides celebrate a 37,000 alumni network and Pakistanis being the largest recipients of Fulbright scholarships.
Last year the number of students increased to 8,000. But it is still small. The door for enrolment in STEM disciplines needs to be opened a lot wider. We are working to establish university-to-university partnerships to create a knowledge corridor.
Our Foreign Minister will be attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Conference in Goa in early May. The context is multilateral, not bilateral. Let’s hope that this decision goes down well to bolster diplomacy.
We do value the US encouragement to India and Pakistan to engage. But beyond that, the US could act as a catalyst to help resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute which has kept the region on the brink of war. The US could also revive its role on strategic stability in South Asia because we believe that a policy of imbalance is fraught with serious perils. In that context, it is important that the US restores – for Pakistan – Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous Administration.
Afghanistan’s stability is imperative, first and foremost, for its own people who have suffered grievously over the past four decades. It is equally important to stem the surge of terrorism that has viciously attacked Pakistan. We have lost more than a thousand precious lives since August 2021.
It is our determination that there would be no tolerance for terrorism. Our military operations are stern and unforgiving, even as we would use modicum of political capital with Afghan Taliban to persuade them to deny space to TTP and ISIS-K on their soil. The US too is talking directly to Taliban Cabinet ministers. China is wary of ETIM’s activities. Let’s work together to eliminate this threat. Today it is a threat for Pakistan and Afghanistan; if unchecked, it will spread to other parts of the region and beyond. Urgent action is needed to fight this menace and work collectively for women and girls’ education and inclusive governance.
Pakistan seeks to forge strong ties with the US and make them stronger. The sky is the limit. We do not believe our relations with China should affect them in any way. We earnestly hope that the US, the shining city upon a hill, and China, an emerging power, using their statesmanship, will opt for cooperation and competition rather than confrontation that can plunge the globe into strife or worse. Pakistan offers to build bridges in good faith and facilitate communication between the two powers, if they so desire, as it did back in the 1970s.
To build lasting relations, the people of the two states need to know each other better. And that’s why we are emphasizing people-to-people exchanges and dissemination of each other’s cultural products. Our mutual soft power is an antidote for skewed images and misleading stereotypes about each other. This also entails liberalizing visa regimes on both sides.
As we negotiate a transition, we need to allocate resources to define this new phase of Pak-US relations. This is necessary to avert raking up of squabbles of a bygone era. The US and Pakistan are transcending the past; and so are the expertise. We are all catching up. It is in this context that Wilson’s Center’s initiative is so refreshing as it enables us to grasp new realities and coin commensurate diction.
We have work cut out for ourselves to fortify our longstanding partnership to promote trade, investment and cultural exchanges; and reinforce regional security and stability. It is not a one-way street. Pakistan will benefit from this relationship; and so would the US. This is a relationship for our future generations. The future of Pakistan-US relations is bright!
I thank you.
Washington D.C. April 27, 2023
