Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar has expressed the belief that a strong Pakistan-US relation can be a force for stability and progress in South Asia and beyond.

He was addressing the prominent US-think tank Council on Foreign Relations, on the sidelines of the 78th UNGA session in New York on Thursday.

The Prime Minister, however, said that enduring partnerships are not built overnight as they require patience, understanding and investment on both sides.

He said Pakistan stands ready to work with the United States and all partners, who share our vision of a peaceful and prosperous world, where cooperation triumphs over conflicts.

He expressed the optimism that US continued support and engagement will be crucial economically, diplomatically and in promoting people to people ties.

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said shared value of democracy, human rights and rule of law has been the foundation of Pakistan-US enduring partnership spanning over decades and will continue to do so as we have revitalized this relationship.

He recalled that both countries have prospered whenever we have worked together. He said our bilateral agenda encompasses security cooperation trade and investment, IT, energy, climate change, agriculture as well as overall connectivity and enhanced people to people linkages through greater education and cultural exchanges.

On economic collaboration, the Prime Minister said the United States is our largest export destination with an impressive total of 8.4 billion dollars last year.

He said it is his government's priority to improve Pakistan's business climate and attract US capital and expertise. He added that over 80 US enterprises are already operating and thriving in Pakistan.

He said we have established a Special Investment Facilitation Council to make Pakistan an attractive destination for investment and innovation in key areas such as agriculture, mining and minerals, Information Technology, energy and defence production.

Highlighting the importance of people to people contacts, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said there are nearly one million Pakistani-Americans or Americans of Pakistani origin living in the United States, excelling in all fields and acting as a bridge between Pakistan and the United States.

He said our brightest young men and women aspire to study in US colleges and universities through several scholarship programmes, including the Fulbright award. He said we look forward to enhancing education cooperation.

Talking about the climate change challenge, the Prime Minister said Pakistan contributes less than one percent of global Greenhouse gas emissions.

He said Pakistan is working hard to mitigate carbon emissions and transition to renewable but we and other developing nations cannot shoulder the burden alone. He said pursing climate justice requires a collective response with far greater actions and industrialized nations.

Commenting on the menace of terrorism, Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said the resurgence of this threat by dangerous entities like TTP is a matter of grave concern for Pakistan and the entire international community.

He urged the global community to stand united in the face of this newly emerging threat. He said we have done before to ensure the safety and security of our people, a stable Afghanistan continues to remain an important foreign policy priority for Pakistan and the United States. 

About Afghan issue, he welcomed the US direct engagement with the Afghan Government and said that Pakistan on its part would continue to push Afghan authorities to honour their commitments, including women rights, girls' education and ensuring that Afghan soil is not used for terrorist attacks against other countries.

Regarding regional situation, the Prime Minister said Pakistan understands that peace and stability in its neighborhood is an essential prerequisite for economic prosperity and social sector development. He said in this spirit, we desire to have peaceful relations with all countries in the region and beyond. He said Pakistan does not wish to join any camp politics. He said Pakistan has successfully maintained good relations with both the US and China and would continue to do so.

The Prime Minister further said that Pakistan remains desirous of peaceful relations with India, but our quest requires reciprocal sincerity by the Indian Government. He said measures taken by India in 2019 in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir have pushed our region into a dangerous and dark alley. He said the government and the people of Pakistan are deeply concerned about the deteriorating human rights situation in IIOJK, including attempts by the BJP government to change the demographic structure of the occupied territory.

He said the rising wave of Hindutva, inspired by anti-Muslim extremism in India and other minorities should be a matter of deep concern for the entire international community, including the United States. 

Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar urged the US Administration to persuade the Indian Government that without amicably resolving the Kashmir dispute as per the wishes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, we cannot free the people of South Asia from perennial instability. 

Responding to a question regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, the Prime Minister linked the episode to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ideology of Hindutva.

He said the "unfortunate killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil is a reflection of that ominous tendency. He said for obvious economic and strategic reasons, many players in the Western capitals ignored this fact and reality.