Close the chapter on US aid, CM asserts

Says bilateral ties with Washington must be free from repeated taunts

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has said it is time for Pakistan to politely and gratefully close the chapter on US assistance so that the bilateral relationship can be free from the shadow of continuously repeated taunts.

The CM said that the constant allusions to American assistance in larger conversations about regional peace and security are salt on the wounds of the millions of Pakistanis who have endured terrorism, poverty and poor governance. He said people have already rendered enough sacrifices in terms man and material to achieve the shared objectives of a terror-free and peaceful world.



Shehbaz believed that Pakistani people crave the opportunity to be treated fairly, honourably and justly, while also remaining committed to contributing to world peace and prosperity.



“Pakistan has never shied away from advancing our shared objectives as a member of international community. However, the job of providing for and leading the people of the country out of different challenges falls on Pakistani leaders,” he said. The CM added other countries can help the nation by having a fair appraisal of regional and global affairs and trying to understand legitimate concerns.

Over the years, many countries, including the United States, have helped the country improve health, education and other service delivery areas for Pakistanis - and this vital support continues to be welcomed.  He, however, added in the same breath that no country should see their generosity as a justification to make unfair accusations and demands of the Pakistani people.

Chief Minister Punjab, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif said that strong and vibrant societies tend to evolve and produce solutions to the problems they face organically and indigenously.

"An effort at imposing external solutions has often come to naught. A free and proud people need not be told by others what challenges they are facing and what course they need to adopt to move on. They both have the ability and intellectual clarity to identify the challenges and tackle them successfully.”



In a statement released from his office, the chief minister urged his fellow Pakistanis to view the overall geopolitical and security challenges faced by the country as an unprecedented opportunity to begin to define a truly sovereign and independent vision of its future. The CM continued that this would be in line with the ideals of Pakistan’s founding fathers and allow the country to fulfill its destiny as a tolerant, moderate and welfare Islamic society. “It will be the harbinger of peace, hope, development and pluralism in the world.

Shehbaz pledged to continue to work tirelessly to serve the people of Pakistan and to try to help bridge the distance between the current scenario and the Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam's dreams.

“It has been my firm belief and an article of faith that we can only rise from poverty and indignity through tireless efforts and by getting rid of aid which injures our self respect. We have to learn to rely on ourselves and the ability of our people to change their fate,” he concluded.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 26^th, 2017.