[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 678 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 678

Extending best wishes to the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 
as they celebrate the 62nd anniversary of Pakistan's independence from 
                          the British Empire.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2009

 Ms. Jackson-Lee of Texas (for herself, Mr. Burton of Indiana, and Mr. 
 McDermott) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Extending best wishes to the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 
as they celebrate the 62nd anniversary of Pakistan's independence from 
                          the British Empire.

Whereas August 14th, Pakistan's Independence Day, is a national holiday in 
        Pakistan;
Whereas, on August 14, 1947, Pakistan officially became a sovereign nation;
Whereas, August 14, 2009, will mark the 62nd anniversary of the day Pakistan 
        gained its independence from the British Empire;
Whereas Pakistan has endeavored to overcome an unstable political past in its 
        efforts to become a democratic republic, and continues to make progress 
        toward social, economic, and gender equality;
Whereas Pakistan is recognized for its commitment to democracy, as demonstrated 
        by the free and fair parliamentary elections which resulted in the 
        selection of Yousuf Raza Gilani as Prime Minister in February 2008 and 
        of Asif Ali Zardari as President in September 2008, returning Pakistan 
        to a democratic civilian rule after almost 9 years under a military 
        dictatorship;
Whereas the United States reaffirms the bonds of friendship and cooperation 
        which have existed between the United States and Pakistan, and commits 
        to strengthening those bonds;
Whereas Pakistan has made recent progress in its campaign to counter a domestic 
        insurgency, and has made tremendous contributions and great sacrifices 
        in combating terrorism, including the loss of lives of hundreds of 
        Pakistani soldiers and thousands of civilians in terrorist-related 
        incidents;
Whereas Pakistan suffered a significant loss of lives in the October 2005 
        earthquake and the United States showed friendship and commitment by 
        providing humanitarian assistance, military support for relief 
        operations, and private contributions;
Whereas the internal displacement of over 2,000,000 civilians following 
        Pakistani military operations against terrorists in the Swat region 
        poses a grave humanitarian crisis, and the United States remains 
        committed to serving the displaced and to helping Pakistan in its 
        struggle to combat terrorism and extremism;
Whereas the United States and Pakistan have a shared commitment to a broad and 
        lasting strategic partnership, and will continue to cooperate on a 
        number of issues including the combat of terrorism and violent 
        extremism, security in the region, continued strengthening of democratic 
        institutions, and improved opportunities for trade, education, 
        humanitarian relief, and reconstruction;
Whereas the United States is the largest trading partner of Pakistan, and the 
        United States is committed to strengthening our trading partnership;
Whereas Americans of Pakistani origin are one of the largest Muslim-American 
        ethnic groups and enrich the cultural diversity and public discourse of 
        the United States; and
Whereas Pakistan and the United States have a strong ongoing partnership 
        regarding the promotion of democratic values, cooperation on 
        international security, and collaboration on strategic initiatives: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) looks forward to ongoing friendship with Pakistan and 
        continuing partnership in matters of mutual concern;
            (2) applauds the Pakistani-American community for the 
        important role it plays in the relationship between the United 
        States and Pakistan; and
            (3) extends best wishes to the people of Pakistan as they 
        celebrate the 62nd anniversary of Pakistan's independence from 
        the British Empire.
                                 <all>