Daily Times

LAHORE: Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar has said that the United States (US) government fully acknowledges Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process and viable regional peace and stability today.

In a meeting with journalists after his US visit at the Governor’s House here on Monday, he said he met more than 100 politicians including senators, congressmen, state governors, mayors, community leaders besides Pakistani and Sikh businessmen during US visit, adding that he apprised the US political elite of the services rendered in the war against terror, initiatives put forth to combat climate change, the strategy adopted to contain novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and keep the economy stable despite challenges.

Sarwar said he vociferously took up the Palestine and Kashmir issues with the United States leadership and asked that the international community must stop turning a blind eye to Israel’s war crimes and immediately act to halt the genocide of innocent Palestinians after the recent escalation of tensions between Israel and Palestine.

Governor Punjab said he made the US politicians realize that the inhumane and illegal 672 day-long curfew in Kashmir is a gross violation of international law, so the United States, as well as the peaceful nations, must play a role in resolving the Kashmir conflict in the light of the UN resolutions.

About another achievement of his US visit, he said the California Assembly tabled a bill to declare Punjab and California as sister states in his presence. Besides, a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the University of Agriculture Faisalabad and the University of California. He said, under the MoU, both universities will collaborate in agricultural research to enhance productivity.

Governor Punjab further said he had a successful meeting with US Senator Chris Van Hallen, who has tabled the economic package bill for Pakistan, expressing the hope that the US Senate will pass the bill. He said the economic package is an acknowledgment of the fact that Prime Minister Imran Khan and his team have saved Pakistan from economic bankruptcy.

Through successful diplomacy, he said it is through successful diplomacy that Pakistan has managed to browbeat India in its negative propaganda, adding that the world is lauding Pakistan’s role in durable regional peace today.
“One of my foremost goals to the US visit was to inspire US-based Pakistani community to take part in the US politics, and after I became the first Muslim Member of Parliament in the UK, the number was now in the dozens,” he added.

Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said Pakistani and Indian Sikh communities in the United States are on the same page. The Sikh community always stands by Pakistan’s stance on issues like Kashmir. He said the US Sikh community is grateful to Prime Minister Imran Khan for opening the Kartarpur corridor and providing facilities to Sikh pilgrims in Pakistan.

To a question on Jahangir Khan Tareen, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar said Jahangir Khan Tareen and all PTI MPAs and MNAs would support the government in every matter, including provincial and federal budgets.