US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States “deeply appreciates Pakistan’s engagement on counterterrorism and trade.”
The US Secretary of State on Thursday, August 14 extended heartfelt greetings to Pakistan on the occasion of its 78th Independence Day, stating that the United States “deeply appreciates Pakistan’s engagement on counterterrorism and trade.” “On behalf of the United States, I extend our warm congratulations to the people of Pakistan as they celebrate their Independence Day on August 14,” Rubio said in an official statement.
He opined of the capital city highly valuing Islamabad’s cooperation in key areas. “The United States deeply appreciates Pakistan’s engagement on counterterrorism and trade. We look forward to exploring new areas of economic cooperation, including critical minerals and hydrocarbons, and fostering dynamic business partnerships which will promote a prosperous future for Americans and Pakistanis,” he added.
Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on August 14. It commemorates the day in 1947 when Pakistan was established as a separate nation for Muslims, following the partition of British India.
In addition, the US recently declared the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) a terrorist organisation, a group that Pakistan has long sought to outlaw internationally. The US State Department designated the outlawed Balochistan Liberation Army and its alias, the Majeed Brigade, as foreign terrorist organisations, according to a press statement by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
It also brought the Majeed Brigade under “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” group. The move follows closely after the Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir made a visit to the United States, as well as a recent development in Islamabad’s relations with US President Donald Trump. It also comes amidst a US commitment to invest in Pakistan’s energy and mineral mining sectors. Balochistan, the country’s most resource-rich and thriving province and a stronghold for several banned militant groups, is expected to be a focal point for these investments.
In addition, Pakistan and the United States recently held a counterterrorism dialogue in Islamabad, where both sides reaffirmed their shared commitment to fighting militancy collectively. According to a joint statement from Pakistan’s foreign ministry, the US commended Pakistan’s counterterrorism efforts during the meeting, which was attended by Gregory D LoGerfo, the US State Department’s Acting Coordinator for Counterterrorism.
Although, US President Donald Trump has made open claims on utilizing trade as a medium to convince both warring nations, India and Pakistan to have comes to terms on a ceasefire. However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s made it unequivocally clear in the Parliament that there was no third-party intervention, setting the record straight on India-Pakistan military conflict.
There have been concerns in India over the US giving a platform to Munir to make nuclear threats after he recently said Pakistan “would take half of the world down”, and the silence of the US State Department shows the country is refusing to take onus on the matter.
Helene Elliott is the senior reporter for News Raise. She covers Science news. She also has a keen interest in photojournalism. Helene holds a nomination for the prestigious Red Smith Award. She is married to author Dennis D’Agostino, a former publicist with the New York Mets.
