18 November 2024, Islamabad: Today at the “Together We Build” celebration at the National Council of the Arts in Islamabad, the United States and Pakistan commemorated seven decades of collaboration in infrastructure development. 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 modernizing 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. U.S. 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.
Editor: Kamran Raja