“Our nations have suffered periods of crisis, trials and tribulations but, through the sheer resilience of their people, have tided over them with flying colours,” he said here on Thursday evening.

He was speaking at a farewell reception held for him on the sprawling lawns of the residence of the US consul-general, William Martin.

Talking of his impressions of Pakistan, he said that while in Pakistan he had been really touched by the hospitality of the Pakistani people.

Drawing a parallel between the two countries, Munter said both nations were born of common ideals, ideals of tolerance, freedom of worship, justice, liberty, and all the noble values.

He recalled his arrival in the country which at the time had been deluged with unparalleled floods, and said he would never forget the resilience of the victims of the tragedy despite the gargantuan monstrosity of the floods. The same situation, he said, was seen the following year, 2011, but the people, despite the massive losses they had undergone, were as resolute to combat the tragedy as they were the previous year.

On a note of self-praise, he said the US had come to Pakistan’s assistance in both cases and US assistance had gone a long way to mitigate the tragedy. “So when you are in crisis, you’ll always find us there to stand by you.”

The Pakistan-US relations, Munter said, extended far beyond Washington and Islamabad; they were at the level of the people. He said he was so pleased to see the way Pakistani businessmen were carrying on trade with the US, giving impetus to the marketing of US technology.

It was nice, he said, to see the young Pakistani men and women going to pursue higher studies in the US and thus bring back technology to fuel development and modernisation at home. He said he was also pleased to see the way NGOs were rendering service to society in all fields, especially in times of disaster. In a tribute to the media, the American ambassador said, “I am really impressed by the brave journalists of Pakistan for their capability to take bold initiatives.”

The country, he said, boasted an unmatched pool of talent. Referring to the people of Pakistan, Munter said, “You are the bedrock of a strong US-Pakistan relationship.”

Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah reciprocated the ambassador’s sentiments and said the relationship between the two countries was as amiable as ever. He said the two countries cooperated in regional affairs and in maintaining peace and stability in the region.

He referred to Pakistan’s contribution to various aspects of the US and cited the Pakistani diaspora in the US who had distinguished in various fields and had really contributed to the success of the US in their respective fields.

There was an impressive presentation of the colour ceremony whereby a detachment of the Karachi US marines walked in bearing the national flags of the two countries. The national anthems of the two countries were sung, the Pakistan anthem by Alexander and the US anthem by Adriana Murakami.