US-Pakistan partnership and its promising future

As my assignment as US Consul General in Karachi draws to a close, I want to express my deep gratitude to the people of Pakistan, particularly Sindh and Balochistan, for the incredible warmth and hospitality you have shown to me and my team. I would also like to share a few reflections on my time in Karachi and the enormous potential of the US-Pakistan partnership.

Nowhere is the potential for our partnership greater than in our economic relationship, where we have seen real progress and still have room for much more growth ahead. 

I had the honour of speaking at an event at Port Qasim earlier this year to celebrate the return of US soybeans to the Pakistani market, a major US export that will help lower food costs in Pakistan. 

I have met dozens of Pakistani businesses that are buying high-quality US cotton — the largest US export to Pakistan — and exporting Pakistani textiles to the United States, Pakistan’s largest export market.

 From visiting the Mondelez chocolate and Tang factories in Hub, Balochistan, and the Colgate factory in Hyderabad, I have seen first-hand how US companies across Sindh and Balochistan are creating high-quality jobs for thousands of Pakistani men and women. US businesses are also contributing to local communities through generous corporate social responsibility programs supporting education and health. Working together, the United States and Pakistan can unlock the enormous potential of Pakistan’s economy and contribute to the prosperity of both of our countries.

One of the highlights of my time as Consul General was engaging with the next generation of Pakistani leaders and innovators. Many of these young leaders are alumni of US government-funded exchange programmes who are now part of the vibrant Pakistan-US Alumni Network (PUAN) with over 45,000 members across Pakistan. 

In my travels around Sindh — from Sukkur and Jacobabad to Hyderabad and Jamshoro — I have been inspired to meet many of these alumni who have brought back valuable experience from the United States and turned it into action to benefit their communities. 

Here in Karachi, I have met hundreds of talented university students and young innovators, including a group of Pakistani women innovators participating in a US-funded South Asian Regional Women Innovators mentorship programme who are using technology to tackle problems like waste management and market access for Pakistani handicrafts. The entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of these young leaders give me great hope for Pakistan’s future.

As a huge sports fan, I will treasure my memories of sports diplomacy here in Karachi: cheering on Pakistan’s cricket team during the Tri-Nation Series at the Karachi National Stadium, meeting the legendary squash champion Jahangir Khan at the U23 World Squash Championship in Karachi, and playing softball at the US Consulate with Pakistani students and members of the Pakistan Softball Federation. These and other moments were a reminder of our two countries' shared love of sports and the power of sports to bring people together.

Being the US Consul General in Karachi has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. What I will miss most of all, however, is the Pakistani people — your hospitality, kindness, resilience, and friendship. And while I am sad to say farewell to the team of dedicated Pakistani and American staff at the US Consulate and the friends I have made in Pakistan, I leave Karachi confident that the US-Pakistan partnership will continue to grow and thrive. 

Disclaimer: The viewpoints expressed in this piece are the writer's own and don't necessarily reflect Geo.tv's editorial policy.

The writer is the consul general at the US Consulate General in Karachi.