US Ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter on Monday said Pakistan and the United States are going through a rough patch in relations, but the two aspire toward common goals - peace, freedom, tolerance and democracy. Addressing a reception in connection with 235th anniversary of the independence of the United States of America, the ambassador said this time was a trial for both the countries.
"But I believe that although our nations may at times take divergent courses, we aspire towards common goals: peace, freedom, tolerance, and democracy. Our values make us more alike than different," he said while addressing the participants of the reception which was also attended by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and other high officials of the government and the embassy.
Pakistan, like the United States, is a nation founded on visionary and universal ideals, said Munter, adding that "The great founder of your nation, Mohammed Ali Jinnah, spoke eloquently of his vision of Pakistan. He said, "You are free to go to your temples, you are free to go to your mosques or to any other place or worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion or caste or creed; that has nothing to do with the business of the State." Today, he said as Americans honour the universal values of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and remember those who have struggled and sacrificed to protect these values, let us also remember those patriotic Pakistanis who have given their lives to realise Jinnah's dream of tolerance and freedom for all: Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, Governor Salmaan Taseer, Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, journalist Saleem Shahzad, the men and women of Pakistan's armed forces, and so many others throughout the years.
As President Obama has said, "Today, we face challenges that no single country can meet alone. We will only realise the security, prosperity, and opportunity that our peoples seek if we recognize the humanity we share and work together in common purpose."
Today, as we come together to celebrate America's birthday, let us all - Americans, Pakistanis, and guests from many countries - rededicate ourselves to the hard but necessary task of every generation: "to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity."
Referring to July 4, the Independence Day of the US, the envoy said on the day, Americans reaffirm the values that gave birth to, and have sustained, our nation for more than two centuries. And in doing so, we honour values that we believe are not unique to our people, but are the birthright of all men and women, everywhere and at all times, he added. "We believe, as our Declaration of Independence proclaimed to the world, that all men and women are created equal. We believe that among the inalienable rights of all people are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We believe that governments are just when they have the consent of the governed," he added.
In recent months, Munter said, "we have been reminded powerfully that these values are not the exclusive property of one nation or culture. We have seen their enduring power, as people across the world stand up and risk their lives to claim the common birthright of all human beings to freedom, justice, and democracy. "Americans are proud to stand with them," he added.