ISLAMABAD: United States and Pakistan commemorated seven decades of collaboration in infrastructure development at the Together We Build celebration at National Council of Arts here on Monday (18th Nov, 2024).

The event highlighted transformative projects supported by the United States that have connected communities, strengthened local economies, and improved the lives of millions of Pakistanis.

Since 2005, the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), has invested nearly $2 billion in infrastructure projects across Pakistan. These efforts include modernising the Tarbela and Mangla Dams, establishing premier institutions like the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) Karachi and the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), and constructing or rehabilitating 345 schools.

US investments have also expanded healthcare access, rehabilitated and equipped facilities such as Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC), Jacobabad Institute of Medical Sciences (JIMS), a state-of-the-art burn and trauma center in Peshawar, and multiple health centers.

Speaking at the ceremony, U.S. Ambassador Donald Blome highlighted the U.S. approach to development, which focuses on creating jobs investing in local communities, and providing services directly to the people. “Our goal is to ensure that infrastructure investments directly benefit the people of Pakistan and promote long-term sustainability,” he noted.

The Ambassador underscored that the United States provides development assistance through grants, not loans, with no need for repayment. He reaffirmed that creating opportunity and prosperity for the Pakistani people will remain a central feature of the enduring partnership between the United States and Pakistan.

U.S. Ambassador Blome while speaking at the Together We Build Infrastructure Event stated:
Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development, and Reform; Dr. Iqrar Khan; Distinguished Guests; Ladies and Gentlemen.
Thank you for joining us to celebrate the rich and longstanding partnership between the United States and Pakistan. For more than 75 years, the United States has partnered with the Government of Pakistan on infrastructure development projects that have made tangible improvements in the lives of millions of Pakistanis. And these projects include the construction of roads and bridges, primary schools and universities, electric transmission lines and water systems. These projects continue to transform lives and create opportunities for individuals in all parts of the country.
Since 2005, the United States government has invested close to $2 billion in infrastructure across Pakistan. The United States was one of the first countries to recognize Pakistan after its formation, and our development partnership started immediately and has grown from there. Some of the most famous examples are the Tarbela and Mangla Dams, which the United States helped to construct in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2013, we upgraded both dams to make sure they continued to meet the needs of another four million Pakistanis. And the work to maintain and upgrade those continues today.
We have also partnered with local governments to expand access to healthcare and education by rebuilding and refurbishing more than 60 health centers and hospitals, including a new state-of-the-art burn and trauma center in Peshawar, and a total of 345 primary, secondary, and high schools. In higher education, the United States has partnered with Pakistan to establish top-notch institutions, including IBA Karachi, the Lahore University of Management Sciences, and the Centers for Advanced Studies in Water, Energy, and Food Security, which you have heard about today.
While we celebrate the benefits our partnership has delivered for the people of Pakistan, we should also acknowledge what made us so successful in the first place. And that is the United States’ approach to development.
First, our development assistance is provided without loans. Instead, we provide grants that allow communities to benefit from modern infrastructure without the long-term burdens of debt payments.
Second, we invest in people, not just physical infrastructure. U.S. projects prioritize job creation and capacity building for local people. From the construction of roads and bridges to the establishment of university campuses and healthcare centers, our programs create jobs, they promote entrepreneurship and enhance local expertise – all of which put more money into the local economy.
Finally, the U.S. approach ensures that infrastructure investments serve the local community and provide services and opportunities directly to the people. Whether we are rehabilitating irrigation canals, reconstructing schools, or providing solar energy solutions, our projects directly serve local needs and ensure that communities can maintain them.
Taken together, this means that the people of Pakistan continue to see a return on these investments, long after the projects have been completed.
Looking ahead, the United States’ investments in infrastructure will continue to drive growth and opportunity in Pakistan. Our partnerships in hydropower and solar electrification will be the cornerstone of Pakistan’s shift toward renewable energy and climate-smart growth. Our road projects have laid the foundation for enhanced trade, connecting Pakistani businesses to global markets. And our investments in education will continue.

بنیادی ڈھانچے کی تعمیر کیلئے سات دہائیوں پر محیط پاک-امریکہ شراکت داری کے حوالے سے تقریب

امریکہ اور پاکستان کے درمیان بنیادی ڈھانچے کی ترقی کیلئے دہائیوں پر محیط کامیاب تعاون کو اجاگر کرنے کیلئے نیشنل کونسل آف آرٹساسلام آباد میں آج تقریب کا انعقاد کیا گیا۔ ” ساتھ مِل کر ہم تعمیر کرتے ہیں” کہ عنوان سے منعقدہ اِس تقریب میں امریکہ کے تعاون سے پاکستان کے اندر پایہ تکمیل کو پہنچنے والے اُن انقلابی منصوبوں کو اجاگر کیا گیا جو مُلک بھر میں لوگوں کے درمیان رابطے استوار کرنے، مقامی معیشتوں کو فروغ دینے اور لاکھوں پاکستانیوں کی زندگیوں میں بہتری لانے کا باعث بنے ہیں۔
واضح رہے کہ ۲۰۰۵ ء سے لیکرامریکہ نے پاکستان بھر میں انفراسٹرکچر کے منصوبوں میں لگ بھگ دو ارب ڈالر کی سرمایہ کاری کی ہے، جس میں تربیلا اور منگلا ڈیم کی تجدید، آئی بی اے کراچی اور لاہور یونیورسٹی آف مینجمنٹ سائنسز (لمز) جیسے مایہ ناز اداروں کا قیام اور اسکولوں کی تعمیر اور تزئین و آرائش بھی شامل ہیں۔ امریکی تعاون سےحفظانِ صحت کی سہولتوں تک رسائی میں بھی اضافہ ہوا،اس میں جناح پوسٹ گریجویٹ میڈیکل سینٹر ( جی پی ایم سی)، جیکب آباد انسٹی ٹیوٹ آف میڈیکل سائنسز ( جمز) اور پشاور میں جدید سہولیات سے آراستہ ایک برن اینڈ ٹراما سینٹر سمیت متعدد دیگر سہولیات شامل ہیں۔
اس موقع پر تقریب سے خطاب کرتے ہوئے امریکی سفیر ڈونلڈ بلوم نے ترقی کے امریکی تصور میں قرضوں کے بجائے مالی اعانت ، روزگار کی فراہمی کے مواقع پیدا کرنے اور مقامی آبادیوں کو بااختیار بنانے پر توجہ مرکوز کی جاتی ہے۔ اُنھوں نے کہا کہ ہمارا مقصد اس بات کو یقینی بنانا ہے کہ بنیادی ڈھانچے میں سرمایہ کاری کا فائدہ براہ راست پاکستانی عوام کو پہنچے اور وہ طویل مدتی بھی ہو ۔
سفیر نے اس بات پر زور دیا کہ امریکہ ترقیاتی امداد گرانٹ کے ذریعہ سے فراہم کرتا ہے نہ کہ قرضوں کی صورت میں، جس کی بعد ازاں واپس ادائیگی کی کوئی ضرورت نہیں ہوتی ہے۔ انہوں نے اس عزم کا اعادہ کیا کہ پاکستانی عوام کے لیے مواقع اور خوشحالی یقینی بنانا ریاستہائے متحدہ امریکہ اور پاکستان کے درمیان پائیدار شراکت کا مرکزی ستون رہے گا

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