US envoy hails Taseer, Shahzad’s sacrifices for individual liberties
By Afnan Khan
LAHORE: United States Consul General in Lahore Carmella Conroy has said that people like George Washington had initiated the struggle for individual liberties and there are still such people who are continuing this struggle in US, Pakistan and across the globe.
She was addressing a ceremony organised at her residence to celebrate the 235th Independence Day of the United States on Thursday night. Shehryar Taseer, the son of martyred Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, was present as the chief guest on the occasion along with the deputy chief of the US diplomatic mission in Pakistan Richard Hoagland.
A large number of dignitaries including teachers, journalists, artists, showbiz personalities, businessmen and Lahorites from other walks of life attended the event.
Carmella said that concerns about sectarian conflict and suppression of individual liberties are as much a concern for people today as they were 235 years ago.
She added that there are people today struggling to ensure personal liberties, for themselves and for others, and fighting the efforts of those who would impose their own beliefs on the people around them.
“Some of those people are here in Pakistan. We lost two of the most respected and free-est voices this year, journalist Saleem Shahzad and politician, businessman and friend Salmaan Taseer,” she asserted.
She said that the people who work, despite personal hardship, to preserve freedoms of speech and of religion inspired her every day. Carmella stated that the US sought strong ties with Pakistan and their government was contributing in the country’s development through assistance in the fields of health, education and women’s empowerment.
Shehryar Taseer said that the struggle to counter the ongoing wave of extremism was going on in Pakistan and he salutes the sacrifices of people like Benazir Bhutto, Salmaan Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti to safeguard this country.
He said that he was optimistic about overcoming the challenges posed by the extremists in society while adding that Pakistani youth, who comprise the majority of the population, were key in this struggle and we have to protect them from falling prey to the ideology of hatemongers.
Shehryar also said that the US remained a key player of global politics and Pakistan could win a significant position in the international arena by having good relations with such global powers.
Richard Hoagland said that he was working in Pakistan for around 25 years in different phases and he felt every time when he came back to Pakistan from the US that he came back to his home.
He said that people of this country belonged to a wonderful civilisation, which gave birth to the culture across the globe and he was very optimistic about restoration of excellent ties between the US and Pakistan.
He said that it was difficult to comprehend US-Pakistan ties as bad or good because these relations had different layers between citizens, at cultural level and between governments.
The US Consulate had set up stalls projecting different projects being supported by USAID in different fields including agriculture, power production, education and entertainment, etc.
Source: Daily Times
Date:7/2/2011
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