Pakistan wants collaborative partnership with US: Kakar

ISLAMABAD: Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar on Saturday expressed Pakistan’s determination to establish a collaborative partnership with the US.   

During an interactive session with visiting students from Harvard University in Islamabad, he said if any nation or society has to remain connected with the global unfolding particularly in the realm of technology and research and development, how it could divorce itself from North America. 

Acknowledging the strides made by America in the field of knowledge and skills over the last two hundred years, he said the rest of the world needs to benefit and learn from it. He said Pakistan is very positive towards its relationship with the US and there is a history of it. 

He said there are convergences and divergences in this relationship. He said one area where we are commonality of views is climate change which is becoming an existential threat to every state.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan sees the US as a big power but at the same time wants to see it to turn itself into a great power. We want to partner that journey of greatness along with the US.

Tracing the history of Pak-US relationship, Mr Kakar regretted that we failed to articulate Pakistan’s contributions towards global peace, security as well as economic and financial institutions.

When asked about the economic situation, Mr Kakar said the caretaker government is trying to contribute in its limited stint to document the economy and enhance the tax net. He said we will also focus on investing in human resource.

He said Pakistan is gifted with natural resources. He said these not only include minerals but also its talented people. He expressed the confidence that Pakistan will come out of the economic quagmire. 

Responding to a student’s question, the Prime Minister pointed out that the country had witnessed three successive completion of the parliament’s terms over the last fifteen years. He said the members of the parliament have the inherent right to replace a government.

He said we are committed to and understand that the performance and participatory idea of democracy is needed, and we will encourage it.