US top diplomat reiterates Unprecedented Trust in Pakistan Leadership at 250th Independence Celebration

ISLAMABAD – US officials signaled all-out support and strategic ties with Pakistan, with top US diplomat Natalie A. Baker calling the two nations now “true partners” bound by trust, diplomacy, and shared global interests. Ms. Baker thanked embassy staff, donors, and private sponsors for helping organize the historic celebration, calling it a symbol of the strength of the U.S.-Pakistan partnership. In one of the most striking lines of the evening, Baker said the Trump administration firmly believes that “a strong Pakistan is good for America, and a strong America is good for Pakistan.” She stressed that Washington no longer views its relationship with Islamabad through outdated assumptions, but through practical cooperation, trust, and shared strategic goals. At largest Independence Day celebration ever hosted by the US Embassy in Pakistan, Chargé d’Affaires Natalie Baker delivered a sweeping speech praising Pakistan’s leadership, diplomacy, culture, and rising global importance, while repeatedly emphasizing the personal engagement of President Donald Trump with Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership. Addressing PM Shehbaz Sharif, senior officials, diplomats, business leaders, and foreign guests in Islamabad, Baker described the current relationship between Washington and Islamabad as stronger than ever before. “America’s most important chapter with Pakistan has only just begun,” she declared. “The best is yet to come.” Baker credited President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif with transforming bilateral ties into a “results-oriented strategic partnership” rooted in mutual respect and aligned interests. In one of the strongest public endorsements yet from a senior U.S. official, Baker praised both Prime Minister Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir for helping prevent a wider regional conflict during the May 2025 ceasefire crisis involving two nuclear-armed neighbors. “Their statesmanship prevented escalation and opened a new chapter,” she said. She