Pak-US Relations Recalibrated to Focus on Economy & Trade, Says Amb Masood Khan
By Elaine Pasquini

Washington: Pak-US bilateral relations are continuing to strengthen in both security and non-security areas, Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, told a large group of think tank community members, businessmen, entrepreneurs, opinion makers and journalists gathered at the University Club on January 18. During his well-received talk, the ambassador focused on investment and trade cooperation between the United States and Pakistan, emphasizing the usefulness of the recently launched platform of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).

“We must be partners,” Khan said. “We must continue to talk to each other and continue to resolve the issues that would impair peace and security in the region and prosperity but, more importantly, we must develop people-to-people contacts and increase economic cooperation.”

Calling attention to the presence of 80 US companies in Pakistan, he noted that the US had an advantage because of the experience of American companies in Pakistan spanning decades and their successful investments in the country. The sectors of agriculture, energy, IT and mineral extraction, Khan particularly stressed, have tremendous potential for investors to invest in Pakistan through the SIFC.

“We also need to collaborate in the realm of renewables, healthcare, education and the IT sector, particularly in the field of artificial intelligence (IA),” the ambassador said. “The IT sector is transformative for Pakistan, and the United States, particularly tech entrepreneurs and major capitalists, is heavily investing in Pakistan.”

In the field of education and technology, the ambassador termed the recently renewed Pakistan-US Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement transformative and stressed that its potential should be fully utilized for higher education, research and development and technological collaboration.

Ambassador Khan spoke about Pakistan-India relations and the importance of dialogue to resolve longstanding issues including the resolution of the Jammu and Kashmir situation in accordance with the United Nations Security County resolutions.

“The quest for peace must continue,” he insisted. “And our stance has been that we should resolve the outstanding issues between India and Pakistan through dialogue. Both Pakistan and India are headed towards elections. Let’s hope that a new cast of leadership in both countries explores diplomacy to address outstanding issues.”

Highlighting the importance of strategic balance in the region, he emphasized responsible nuclear stewardship from all the states to ensure security for all.

While Pakistan has strong ties with China, they are not at the expense of the United States, its longtime and close ally, the ambassador added.

“For the stability of international order, we must commit ourselves to the international order; we must commit ourselves to the international humanitarian law, especially in the three core universal principles of distinction, precaution and proportionality,” he declared. “These are imperative for peace.”

Following the question-and-answer session, Ambassador Khan thanked Andrew Goodwin and the International Committee of the University Club for inviting him and providing him the opportunity to share his thoughts on a wide array of topics presently confronting the world.

(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)