September 23, 2021
2 mins read

Pakistan wants strong ties with US: FM Qureshi

This comes as the US has expressed its desire to reassess ties with Pakistan….reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Islamabad wants strong ties with the United States (US) amid the frayed ties between the two countries post messy military drawdown from Afghanistan.

Speaking at the session of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York, the minister said both Pakistan and the US have the ingredient to build a broad-based relationship between the two countries, reported Radio Pakistan.

This comes as the US has expressed its desire to reassess ties with Pakistan. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Congress last week that Washington is going to be looking at its ties with Pakistan in the coming weeks to formulate the role America wants Islamabad to play in the future of Afghanistan.

During his first testimony in Congress after the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul, Blinken noted that Pakistan has “harboured” members of the Taliban including the terrorists from the proscribed Haqqani network.

During an interactive session in New York on Tuesday, Qureshi stated that Pakistan wants to leverage its connectivity infrastructure including China Pakistan Economic Corridor to enhance regional trade and economic integration.

The minister added Pakistan’s climate-friendly energy policy offers opportunities for US companies specialised in clean and renewable energy.

Pakistan has shifted its focus from geo-politics to geo-economics and can work with the US through the development of Finance cooperation to general economic activity on the Afghanistan border, the minister added.

Qureshi’s pitch to improve ties comes at a time when Washington is seen giving a cold shoulder to Islamabad.

Notably, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has not received any call from US President Joe Biden since assuming office. The Pakistan Prime Minister recently came to the defence of the US President by saying that Biden faced “unfair criticism” over withdrawal from Afghanistan and it was the “most sensible thing” to do.

“There was so much unfair criticism of President Biden, and what he did was the most sensible thing to do,” said Khan, in an interview given to Russia Today last week. (ANI)

ALSO READ: Imran focuses on Afghanistan as soaring inflation bites Pakistan

Previous Story

Four arrested from Lahore amid terror threats

Next Story

JLF London brings fresh ideas in a virtual jamboree

Latest from -Top News

Taipei Gets Tough on Beijing

The new move marks one of the most comprehensive efforts in recent years to strengthen Taiwan’s legal defences against Beijing’s covert attempts…reports Asian Lite News Taiwanese lawmakers from both the ruling and

Pakistan Warns Afghanistan War

Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that Islamabad could enter an “open war” with Kabul if peace talks in Istanbul fail to ease rising Afghan border tensions…reports Asian Lite News Pakistan’s Defence

UN Signs Landmark Cybercrime Treaty

Malaysia’s foreign minister warned ASEAN is losing neutrality amid rising global power competition, ahead of the bloc’s annual summit….reports Asian Lite News Sixty-five nations have signed a landmark United Nations convention in

Malaysia Warns ASEAN Neutrality Eroding

Malaysia’s foreign minister warned ASEAN is losing neutrality amid rising global power competition, ahead of the bloc’s annual summit….reports Asian Lite News  Malaysia’s foreign minister has warned Southeast Asian counterparts that the

Trump Treads Carefully on Taiwan

Trump confirmed that Taiwan would be among the topics likely to come up during his discussions with Xi…reports Asian Lite News As US President Donald Trump began his five-day tour of Asia
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Protests Continue as 10 Disappear in Balochistan

It should be noted that forced disappearances have been ongoing

Narco smuggling into Kashmir on the rise

Of the high-value drugs smuggled in from Afghanistan and Pakistan,