LAHORE: Talking about the United States commitment to support flood-affected communities, US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia Bureau Elizabeth Horst has said that they have provided more than $50 million towards life-saving food support, shelters, safe water, sanitation, and hygiene improvements, and are working closely with their local partners and Pakistani authorities to ensure that they can continue to be of assistance.
She expressed these views during her three-day visit to the provincial capital on September 10, disclosed a spokesperson of US Consulate General Lahore on Monday. Her visit highlighted the 75th anniversary of US-Pakistan relations, a long-standing partnership based in shared interests and common goals. During her engagements, the US Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary offered condolences for those affected by the devastating flooding in Pakistan.
During her visit, she broke ground on a US$350,000 US Embassy International Narcotics and Law Enforcement funded men and women training hostel at the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA). She was accompanied by the Embassy’s International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Director Lori Antolinez to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Punjab Forensic Science Agency training hostel.
The agency provides training for Pakistan’s crime laboratory personnel, law enforcement investigators, judges, and prosecutors. This partnership helps to strengthen the capacity of law enforcement agencies and the country’s judicial system to solve crimes and deliver justice.
Since 2018, the US has provided US$1.3 million in assistance to PFSA for training, facilities, and equipment. During the ceremony, Horst said, “The US is committed to working with Pakistan to improve the training, standards, and investigative capacity of the police. We applaud your contributions towards the achievement of those goals.”
Moreover, in a meeting with women business leaders from across Punjab, she underscored that the US has long been the top export destination for Pakistan and described the US-Pakistan commercial relationship as a vehicle for economic growth for both countries. She also emphasized the vital role women play in economic development, highlighting that “the United States looks forward to deeper cooperation with Pakistan on ways to successfully integrate more women into the economy.” She noted that US support to women-led small and medium sized enterprises across Pakistan has already created over 5000 new jobs.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
Comments
Comments are closed for this article.