Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday lauded the longstanding Pakistan-United States ties spanning over eight decades, describing them as a true and special relationship at an occasion marking the latter's 250th anniversary of independence. The event was held at the US Embassy in Islamabad.
Address at US Embassy
Addressing the ceremony, which was also attended by US Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker, the prime minister congratulated the US people and leadership on the 250th anniversary and lauded the Pakistan-US partnership spanning over eight decades. He said that as Pakistan marked two and a half centuries of the US, it was also time to celebrate the longstanding partnership between them.
Ours is a true and special relationship spanning nearly eight decades, he said, adding that it encompassed not only security and counterterrorism cooperation, but also trade, investment, agriculture, science, education, health, energy and people-to-people exchanges.
Historical Ties
Prime Minister Shehbaz noted that the US was among the first nations to recognise Pakistan upon independence when Harry Truman wrote a congratulatory letter to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, welcoming Pakistan into the community of nations. He also praised US support for Pakistan’s Green Revolution and in the fields of development and education.
The prime minister said the story of the US was one of hope and optimism, rooted in enduring beliefs that could shape a better tomorrow through hard work and perseverance today.
Trump's Leadership
Today, under the bold and visionary leadership of President Trump, the US continues to inspire confidence and optimism while advancing peace, progress, and prosperity, he said. The prime minister commended the US corporate sector for continued investment in Pakistan, noting that around 80 major US companies were operating in the country. He said Pakistan was poised to expand its IT exports, supported by one of the largest freelance workforces in the world, adding that the US remained a key destination in this regard.
Security Cooperation
Referring to the long-standing partnership between the two countries, he said Pakistan and the United States had worked closely during some of the most consequential moments in history, including the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s and the post-9/11 period from 2001 to 2021.
He once again praised President Trump for his role in securing a ceasefire between India and Pakistan following what he described as India’s unprovoked actions last year after the Pahalgam incident. It is President Trump's timely and most decisive interventions that resulted in a ceasefire between Pakistan and India on May 10, he said, adding that Pakistan would remain forever grateful for his role in restoring peace in South Asia and saving millions of lives. In this context, he will always be remembered as the man of peace, he added.
Mediation Efforts
Referring to Pakistan’s mediation efforts regarding Iran and the US, he said Pakistan was proudly but humbly playing a sincere role as a facilitator between the two countries. We are grateful for the trust reposed in Pakistan by both these countries, he added. He also praised Field Marshal Asim Munir for advancing Pakistan’s efforts for regional peace and stability, saying these efforts continued with the support of Iran and the US, and prayed for lasting peace.
Appreciation for US Envoy
Concluding his remarks, the prime minister lauded Baker, calling her an excellent representative of the US in Pakistan, saying her energetic engagement and active diplomacy had helped bring the two countries closer.
Shift in Relations
Relations between the United States and Pakistan have seen a sudden shift after nearly a decade of ties since President Trump assumed office for a second term. Relations between the two countries hit rock bottom in 2011 after the US raid in Abbottabad that killed Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. They improved somewhat in 2020, when the US acknowledged Pakistan’s role in facilitating the Doha Agreement with the Afghan Taliban. However, with President Joe Biden's arrival in 2021, ties entered a diplomatic freeze once again. They were relegated to the sidelines for much of his term as the Biden administration leaned on India to counter China’s growing influence in the region.
Relations between the two countries have reached a new high under President Trump’s second term. In March 2025 — weeks after Trump’s second inauguration — Pakistan arrested and extradited to the US an Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) operative, Mohammad Sharifullah, who was accused of helping plan the 2021 suicide bombing outside Kabul airport that killed 13 American soldiers. That prompted Trump to praise Pakistan at the start of his second term. I want to thank especially the government of Pakistan for helping arrest this monster, Trump said in his first address to Congress during his second term.
Diplomatic engagement between the United States and Pakistan reached new heights after Trump helped broker a ceasefire between Pakistan and India during their brief war. Since then, leaders from both countries have exchanged cordial gestures and praised each other’s leadership on international platforms. PM Shehbaz even nominated President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of his mediation efforts. Trump, in turn, has frequently praised PM Shehbaz and Pakistan’s military leadership, notably describing CDF Munir as his favourite field marshal.
Economic Prospects
Building on this positive momentum, Islamabad now seeks to translate the goodwill into tangible economic benefits by pursuing a more favourable trade agreement with Washington, including tariff concessions and expanded market access for Pakistani exports.
Most recently, after a war broke out between the US and Iran in February this year, Pakistan emerged on the international stage as a peace broker. Islamabad brokered a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, followed by critical talks in Islamabad attended by senior delegations from both countries on April 11 and 12. However, neither side was able to reach an agreement to bring the conflict to an end. Since then, the two sides have exchanged proposals and counter-proposals in an effort to find common ground and resume a second round of direct talks aimed at ending the conflict.
