Australia’s HC assures her country’s help in combating terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Australia’s High Commissioner Margaret Adamson has assured that her country would continue to work with Pakistan in combating terrorism and violent extremism, acknowledging the high human and economic cost Pakistan has paid.

She was addressing the reception at her residence in diplomatic enclave here to commemorate 70 years of Australia-Pakistan relations. She recalled that drawing on our Commonwealth heritage; Australia and Pakistan are today functioning democracies which promote the rule of law, equal opportunity, gender equality and an open economy. We are both currently serving on the United Nations Human Rights Council; advance human rights across all regions of the world.

Defence Minister Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan was the chief guest on the occasion. The High Commissioner reminded that our two countries share a number of features: from our Commonwealth heritage and federal governance to our climatic and water challenges, to ethnic and cultural diversity. And while our formal relations are as old as Pakistan as a nation, our people-to-people links stretch back to the 19th century when cameleers voyaged to Australia to help build Australia's original communications corridors across our continent.

She said that her Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull calls Australia ‘a nation ancient and modern, old and new’. Our country is the world’s oldest landmass. Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have inhabited the land for 65,000 years.

Theirs is the oldest continuous human culture. Pakistan is also home to ancient civilisations, most famously the sophisticated Gandhara kingdom, from which times Pakistan enjoys an extraordinary diversity of cultural heritage – both built and living, for which it is custodian for mankind.

High Commissioner Margaret Adamson said that as a nation, like Pakistan, Australia is relatively new. Our - much smaller - population is based on immigration from over 200 countries, mostly since 1945. Around 60,000 people of Pakistani origin are among those who contribute to the vibrant cultural diversity of which Australia is proud.

“Over the history of our relations, Australia has supported Pakistan's sustainable and inclusive development. Our key development investments have been in education, agriculture and water management. We back education because it invests in your greatest asset, your young human capital. Australian scholarships have given thousands of young Pakistanis the skills needed to grow their careers and society,” she added.

She maintained that sport is a shared passion for our citizens. Next month Australia hosts the Commonwealth Games. Pakistan was the first South Asian stop on the Queen’s Baton Relay’s 388 kilometre journey from London to Australia. Two Pakistani students will travel to Australiaalong with the Pakistani team for a cultural programme with school students from other Commonwealth countries during the Games. It will be a great experience for them.

I’m pleased to say that Australian and Pakistani companies are increasingly turning their attention to build commercial links. Two-way merchandise trade has grown 18.6 per cent over the past year, and trade in services is showing similar growth with real potential to build on this positive trend, she said.