To celebrate the 243rd anniversary of American independence, the US Embassy hosted Pakistani officials, businesspeople, civil society, celebrities, and friends for a celebration that included music, traditional American food, and simulated fireworks. The evening’s guest of honor was Mr. Omar Ayub Khan, Federal Minister for Energy. Under the theme of “Building a Vision,” speakers, photos, and video displays highlighted the common values underpinning U.S. and Pakistani friendship and the shared goals of the two countries. In his remarks, Ambassador Paul Jones, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., explained the choice of theme: “The theme for today’s Independence Day celebration is ‘Building a Vision.’ We wanted to tell the story of how our two great countries built our nations, our capitols, our embassies, and our relationship. The story brings out parallels, from founding principles of our nations to our respective investments in iconic embassies in each other’s capitals.