On this day in 1947, Pakistan emerged as an independent sovereign state on the map of the world as a result of the struggle of the Muslims of the Subcontinent under the leadership of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Since its independence, Pakistan has overcome huge challenges and achieved significant milestones that makes us confident of a better future ahead.
2. Pakistan’s democratic journey in 2013 witnessed peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another. Free media, independent judiciary, vibrant civil society and merit based civil and military bureaucracy underpins our political stability. The consensus achieved in adoption of major constitutional reforms and provision of maximum autonomy to provinces that reflects the true federal structure of the state demonstrates the strength of our political system. The National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for distribution of resources among the provinces, again achieved through the agreement of all political parties and the provinces was another milestone.
3. Political will and society wide consensus is also reflected in our determination to eradicate the menace of terrorism and extremism from our soil and lay ground for sustained economic development. Both these objectives are firmly on track. Peace has been restored in the tribal areas and in major cities. Moody and Standard have raised Pakistan’s credit outlook to positive. Pakistan ranked third in 2014 amongst the Top Ten Performing Markets in the world and our forex reserves are at a record high.
4. Pakistan astrides the traditional trade routes that link West, Central and South Asia and this entrepot gave birth to the Indus Valley civilization more than five thousand years ago. The US$ 46 billion China-Pak Economic Corridor is the latest manifestation of the traditional silk routes and part of our vision of seamless connectivity within the region and beyond.
5. Bangladesh in its own right is a natural hub between South Asia and East Asia. Together, we can act as a bridge to bring this whole region into an integrated network of trade and energy corridors. Our close cooperation in SAARC and other international fora provides a firm basis for this partnership. Our bilateral trade is expected to reach one billion dollars in the next few years. Pakistan’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) was the third largest in Bangladesh last year. Partnerships in the areas of trade, commerce, health, education and culture have prospered. People to people contact and other exchanges have also gained momentum with regular visits of students and journalists , and civil servants of both countries have benefitted from the training facilities in each other’s countries.
6. Bangladesh is among the leading countries in social development indicators in the region and Pakistan is keen to learn from Bangladesh’s experience. As we celebrate our independence day, I reiterate to the people of Bangladesh our commitment to abiding friendship and brotherhood and for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Bangladesh.
2. Pakistan’s democratic journey in 2013 witnessed peaceful transfer of power from one democratically elected government to another. Free media, independent judiciary, vibrant civil society and merit based civil and military bureaucracy underpins our political stability. The consensus achieved in adoption of major constitutional reforms and provision of maximum autonomy to provinces that reflects the true federal structure of the state demonstrates the strength of our political system. The National Finance Commission (NFC) Award for distribution of resources among the provinces, again achieved through the agreement of all political parties and the provinces was another milestone.
3. Political will and society wide consensus is also reflected in our determination to eradicate the menace of terrorism and extremism from our soil and lay ground for sustained economic development. Both these objectives are firmly on track. Peace has been restored in the tribal areas and in major cities. Moody and Standard have raised Pakistan’s credit outlook to positive. Pakistan ranked third in 2014 amongst the Top Ten Performing Markets in the world and our forex reserves are at a record high.
4. Pakistan astrides the traditional trade routes that link West, Central and South Asia and this entrepot gave birth to the Indus Valley civilization more than five thousand years ago. The US$ 46 billion China-Pak Economic Corridor is the latest manifestation of the traditional silk routes and part of our vision of seamless connectivity within the region and beyond.
5. Bangladesh in its own right is a natural hub between South Asia and East Asia. Together, we can act as a bridge to bring this whole region into an integrated network of trade and energy corridors. Our close cooperation in SAARC and other international fora provides a firm basis for this partnership. Our bilateral trade is expected to reach one billion dollars in the next few years. Pakistan’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) was the third largest in Bangladesh last year. Partnerships in the areas of trade, commerce, health, education and culture have prospered. People to people contact and other exchanges have also gained momentum with regular visits of students and journalists , and civil servants of both countries have benefitted from the training facilities in each other’s countries.
6. Bangladesh is among the leading countries in social development indicators in the region and Pakistan is keen to learn from Bangladesh’s experience. As we celebrate our independence day, I reiterate to the people of Bangladesh our commitment to abiding friendship and brotherhood and for a peaceful, progressive and prosperous Bangladesh.
Shuja Alam
High Commissioner of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh
