{"id":13867,"date":"2024-06-28T07:42:08","date_gmt":"2024-06-28T07:42:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/?p=13867"},"modified":"2024-06-28T07:42:09","modified_gmt":"2024-06-28T07:42:09","slug":"people-centric-ties-and-positive-perceptions-key-to-bright-pak-us-relations-masood-khan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/?p=13867","title":{"rendered":"People-centric ties and positive perceptions key to bright Pak-US relations: Masood Khan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Pak Envoy Urges Pragmatism; Cautions Against Falling into the Trap of Misaligned Expectations<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Washington, D.C., : \u201cPakistan and United States should continue to invest in the reset of their relationship, maintain strong security links, enhance intelligence cooperation, resume sales of advanced military platforms and sustainment of Pakistan\u2019 US-origin defense equipment,\u201d said Pakistan\u2019s Ambassador to the United States. \u201cThis is crucial for regional security and opposing the rising tide of terrorism that also threatens the interests of the US and its allies,\u201d he continued.Ambassador Masood Khan made these remarks while addressing Annual Pakistan conference titled, \u201cLooking Back, Looking Forward: Assessing the US-Pakistan Relationship\u201d, organized by the Wilson Center\u2019s South Asia Institute in partnership with the International Academy of Letters USA.Addressing a jam-packed hall comprising policy makers, scholars, intelligentsia, corporate leaders, members of think-tank community and Pak-American community leaders, the Ambassador observed that the prospects of Pakistan-United States relations were bright. \u201cWe share values, our security and economic interests are interwoven, and it is the aspiration of our two peoples that strengthen our ties,\u201d said the Ambassador.Noting that the two countries had leveraged their bilateral relationship for their respective strategic interests, Masood Khan said that they were developing a practical roadmap that enabled them deepen their understanding and deliver security and prosperity for all”In this era of renewed strategic competition, the US and Pakistan would build on existing partnerships and explore new horizons for establishing the parameters of mutuality of interests,” said Masood Khan. \u201cWe should not base our engagement on incongruity of expectations. Our ties should be anchored in ground realties, even as we aim for stronger security and economic partnerships. Secondly, one or two issues should not hold the entire relationship hostage,\u201d said the Ambassador.Highlighting Pakistan’s demographic dividend, technological advancements, and huge market opportunities, Ambassador Khan invited US investors and businesses to tap the country’s potential. Projecting security, economic and strategic component as the new domains of cooperation between the two countries, Masood Khan observed that security cooperation had its importance. \u201cIt equals trust building,\u201d he observed. The Ambassador highlighted high level defence talks, frequent meetings, military exercises including Inspired Union-2024, Falcon Talon and Red Flag that promoted defence cooperation between the two countries.On fighting scourge of terrorism, the Ambassador apprised that audience that Pakistan has launched Azm-i-Istehkam or Resolute Stability \u2013 to oppose and dismantle terrorist networks. \u201cFor that, we need sophisticated small arms and communication equipment,\u201d he said.Outlining numerous areas of successful collaboration between Pakistan and the US, including energy, agriculture, climate change, healthcare, education, science, and technology, Ambassador Masood Khan expressed gratitude for US assistance and ongoing partnerships while welcoming the launch of new initiatives in these fields. He invited the attention of the participants towards huge investment opportunities in IT, energy, agriculture and minerals sectors. \u201cThe SIFC-prioritized projects have opened up new opportunities to American technologies in agriculture, ICT and mining projects,\u201d said the Ambassador.Ambassador Masood Khan also acknowledged the invaluable contributions of the Pakistani American community, terming them a shared asset for both nations. On the Pak-China relationship, Masood Khan said that Pakistan\u2019s posture \u201cis neither one of strategic autonomy nor of strategic neutrality; but one that may be called a strategic dyad model, which has been chosen by major countries in Global South.\u201d\u201cThe US and China both are important to Pakistan, in their own right, none at the expense of the other, because we believe these are not conflicting goals,\u201d he reiterated. \u201cPakistan was a strategic bridge between the US and China in the early 1970s. Now we can be an economic conduit. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) can connect the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the US-led Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (PGII),\u201d said the Ambassador.Masood Khan also cautioned that Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS) should not become a vehicle to accentuate regional imbalances.On India, the Ambassador said Pakistan has always been keen on dialogue with India to resolve outstanding problems, such as the Kashmir dispute. \u201cElections in two countries should offer a new opening for diplomacy,\u201d he said.He observed that the US should make Pakistan a partner for a diplomatic comeback in Kabul, if that is what is being planned, and work with Pakistan, in an inclusive setting, on counterterrorism and the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.In the end, Ambassador Masood Khan thanked Michael Kugelman, Director of South Asia Institute, and Mr. Ghazanfar Hashmi, President International Academy of Letters, USA for organizing this important and successful conference on Pakistan. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Pak Envoy Urges Pragmatism; Cautions Against Falling into the Trap of Misaligned Expectations Washington, D.C., : \u201cPakistan and United States should continue to invest in the reset of their relationship,… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":13868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,4],"tags":[67],"class_list":["post-13867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news","category-international","tag-usa-embassy-pakistan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13869,"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13867\/revisions\/13869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/13868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/voiceofmelange.global\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}