US ambassador pay respects, lays floral wreath at Quaid’s mausoleum

KARACHI, Aug 11 (NNI): US Ambassador Donald Blome visited the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and paid his respects to the founder of Pakistan ahead of country’s 75th Independence Day. Ambassador Blome laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum and signed the guest book on behalf of the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
Ambassador Blome later visited the tombs of Liaquat Ali Khan, Pakistan’s first Prime Minister, and Fatima Jinnah, Jinnah’s sister. He toured the adjoining museum and admired the artifacts related to the life of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.
Ambassador Blome noted in the guestbook, “It is a great honor to be here at the Mazar-e-Quaid to pay my respects and commemorate the legacy of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. United States shares Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of a Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, a Pakistan of religious tolerance, economic prosperity, and social inclusion.
Ambassador Blome noted in the guestbook, “It is a great honor to be here at the Mazar-e-Quaid to pay my respects and commemorate the legacy of Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The United States shares Quaid-e-Azam’s vision of a Pakistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, a Pakistan of religious tolerance, economic prosperity, and social inclusion. On behalf of the American people, I offer Pakistan warm congratulations on its 75th Independence Day.”
This year marks 75 years of bilateral relations between the United States and Pakistan. The United States values our long-standing cooperation with Pakistan and has always viewed a strong, prosperous, and democratic Pakistan as critical to U.S. interests. We support strengthening economic ties between our two countries by expanding private sector trade and investment, which benefits both countries, says a press statement issued by the US Embassy today.
Giving examples of long-standing cooperation between the two countries include: The United States has donated more than 77 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to Pakistan, including 16 million pediatric vaccines recently pledged in Washington. This contribution is part of our ongoing solidarity with the people of Pakistan as they confront this devastating pandemic, and among the largest donations from the United States to any country worldwide;
In addition to vaccine doses, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. government has provided nearly $70.4 million in direct support and $13.8 million in in-kind support to assist the Pakistani people in the fight against COVID-19. NNI