Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Quaid-I-Azam University (QAU) Islamabad in collaboration with Attorney Dawood Ghazanavi (Founder “Dawood Law Associates”) to organize here a One-Day International Virtual Conference, “PAKISTAN – U.S. TIES: THE WAY FORWARD” on Wednesday (today) to discuss Pakistan’s current relations with the U.S. and offered a beneficial way forward for both countries.

The One-Day International Virtual Conference is being organized by Area Study Centre for Africa, North & South America QAU, to assess this new foreign policy orientation and how it can provide opportunities to the U.S. and Pakistan to being a new chapter in their relationship.

Pakistan is keen to revisit its relationship with the U.S. under the newly pronounced National Security Policy (NSP) doctrine, which prioritizes geo-economics as the pivot of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

The most prominent speakers at the Conference were including US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee,  Congressman Al Green, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali (T.I), VC QAU, Islamabad, Angela Aggeler, Chargé d’affaires US Embassy Islamabad, Cameron Munter, Ex- USA ambassador to Pakistan, Michael Kugelman, Deputy Director and Senior Assistant for South Asia, Wilson Center, Washington, Zahid Hussain, award-winning journalist, and author, Ambassador Aizaz Chaudhry, Director General, Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad, Mr. Irfan Nooruddin, Senior Director, South Asia Center, Atlantic Council, Washington, USA, Mudassar Tipu Director-General Americas, Foreign Office, Ambassador Nadeem Riyaz, President, Institute of Regional Studies, Islamabad, Attorney Dawood Ghazanavi, Author, Analyst, Speaker US/Pakistan Relations at US ThinkTanks, Dr. Sadia Sulaiman, Assistant Prof. ASC, QAU, Islamabad.

As per details the key points to be discussed in the conference were included the relationship between the two countries has largely been shaped by certain geopolitical realities, especially the conflict in Afghanistan, tensions between India and Pakistan, and the strategic competition between China and the U.S. Unfortunately, such a focus on geopolitics resulted in less bilateral trust in Pakistan-U.S. ties.

Pakistan National Security Policy is based on the pragmatic approach of using Pakistan’s geographic leverage to boost economic activity through regional connectivity projects that could span South and Central Asia and the Middle East.

The policy, once implemented, can bring desirable results due to harnessing the potential found in the country’s geographic link with the three regions of South, Central, and West Asia, rich mineral resources, and a thriving human capital (60% of Pakistan’s population is under the age of 30).

Pakistan is keen to revisit its U.S. relationship under the new foreign policy paradigm of geo-economics.

Both countries have the golden opportunity to reconstruct their ties and give them a more bilateral turn. Such a shift can prove to be mutually beneficial, helping boost the economic potential of Pakistan along with improving the country’s international image as a promising nation on the global political stage.

This shift can be beneficial for both especially this will help boost the economic potential of Pakistan along with improving its international image as a promising nation on the global political theatre.

US and Pakistan agree on joint efforts to step up climate action. Pakistan is committed to contributing and supporting global climate action at all levels for environmental sustainability and human survival, it said.

The United States must treat Pakistan as a country in its own right, not as a fulcrum for U.S. policy on Afghanistan.

Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF) has been established under an agreement between the Governments of India and the United States of America that promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Innovation through substantive interaction among government, academia, and industry. The US must consider having such a joint venture with Pakistan Government. A joint venture must be initiated to elevate poverty and plus promote education.

America and Pakistan should look for avenues to boost trade. (The United States is Pakistan’s top export destination, but Pakistan is America’s 56th-largest trading goods partner.) Washington could, for example, provide technical support to industries like textiles while making clear Pakistan must produce and market its goods at competitive prices.

Second, U.S. firms should be encouraged to consider investments in Pakistan — which could be a strong incentive for Pakistan to further improve its investment climate.