LAHORE: Planning Minister Prof Ahsan Iqbal on Saturday said Pakistan would have to maintain its relations with the US keeping in view the current regional situation.
He said this while speaking at a seminar on ‘New American Administration and Pakistan’s Strategy’ organised by Pakistan Institute of National Affairs (PINA) at Quaid-e-Azam Library.
The minister said there was no permanent friendship or permanent enmity in foreign policy since it is based purely on national interest, adding that the US and Pakistan have commonalities in their national interests and policies as both want elimination of terrorism, ISIS and establishing durable peace in Afghanistan, therefore, both can move forward in this direction.
He said job creation was another priority of the US government and Pakistan could play its role in development of American industry while becoming part of its high chain supply and value addition on win-win basis. Pakistan should attract major US companies by ending the policy of traditional thinking and sentiments and formulating foreign policies based more on economic development, he said and asserted that it would also promote trade diplomacy between the two countries.
Ahsan mentioned that Donald Trump had also expressed his resolve to improve further relations with Pakistan during his telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif as well as with Pakistan Ambassador in America. This message, he hoped, will give new direction and impetus to Pak-US bilateral ties.
The minister said the US had always been remained a ‘knowledge economy’ and its universities had greater impact on the global economies, citing that Japan, Malaysia, Iran, Russia, China and many other countries managed to rank themselves in the developed countries by taking optimum benefits of knowledge from US varsities.
He mentioned that first time in history of Pakistan, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced a comprehensive programme for Pakistan students to get admission in US varsities in various fields. This programme will definitely jack up Pakistan economy, he added.
Ahsan Iqbal said the 20th century had been the century of political concepts but the 21st century was of economic ideology. Only that country can advance at global level that has an ability of wealth creation; its justified distribution; and efficient in ensuring its sustainability on competitive basis, he added.
To change destiny of 200 million people of Pakistan cannot be done overnight, as it required years, he said and added that present government was striving to ensure social justice; level playing field and equal access of everyone to opportunities, as it was the vision and ideology of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal regarding Pakistan.
The minister mentioned that three years ago, the western media and global institutions had been terming Pakistan as dangerous state but today the same media and institutions were all praised of Pakistan and declared her as rising economy in the world.
