National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq Thursday said that a comprehensive Pak-US cooperation was inevitable for peaceful and prosperous South Asia.
“Pakistan is committed to an enduring partnership with the United States for regional stability, improved governance and fight against terrorism and extremism,” he said while talking to US Ambassador David M Hale, who called on him here at the Parliament House.
The speaker highlighted that the Pak-US alliance was not confined within the parameters of war against terrorism rather it was a broad-based comprehensive engagement in diverse fields as the convergence of strategic interests had necessitated deeper cooperation and strong partnership.
He said stronger inter-parliamentary relations, people-to-people contacts and US assistance for strengthening legislative capacity of Parliament here were crucial for fostering an inclusive and robust democracy in Pakistan.
He appreciated the US assistance to Pakistan’s civilian institutions for enhancing governance in the country and urged for greater cooperation in science, technology, engineering, agriculture and education.
Ayaz informed the Ambassador that the Parliament of Pakistan was first in the world to establish a dedicated secretariat for Sustainable Development Goals and also the first-ever Parliament to be completely powered by solar energy.
Referring to Pakistan’s services in the war on terror, the speaker said the country’s struggle in the war was motivated for global peace and security. The last phase of operation Zarb-e-Azb had been launched to defeat, destroy, degrade and dismantle militants’ network in the country, he added.
Ambassador Hale appreciated industriousness and vitality of Pakistani public, saying the US was committed to engaging with Pakistan to harness its potential to create a brighter economic future for its people.
“A resilient US-Pakistan partnership was vital to regional and global security,” he said and reaffirmed the US commitment to address evolving challenges in South Asia and beyond.
He applauded the role played by Pakistan in the war against terrorism and extremism. Pakistan, he said, was not alone in fighting against this strange and unprecedented enemy as the US shared its concerns and interests in this regard.
He reinforced the US commitment for strengthening democratic governance in Pakistan. “My country would continue to partner with Pakistan in enhancing capacity of civilian institutions, parliamentarians and the parliamentary support staff in order to improve parliamentary oversight,” he added.
The ambassador also endorsed strengthening inter-parliamentary relations and people-to-people contacts between the two countries.
