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
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.