Will a Biden presidency be good for Pakistan?

[globalcitizen]

Pakistan has hosted 3 million Afghan refugees.

Indian public cant stand 3 Afghans walking on their streets never mind 3 million. You know more than me that India government had certain motives in Afghanistan. It dont give a crap otherwise. I would suggest to go and build some hospitals in India first. The world say the chaos around India healthcare in some of the large cities, forget about rural areas.

Any country having border with a war ravage country will face immigration. The refugee situation is forced for Pakistan and cannot avoid. Similar to Mexico and USA.
It's illogical to fly and host a million refugees in India from Afghanistan who don't share border.
Indian policy has always been to make Afghan people self sufficient and skilled so they can run their country

 

[hoshiarpurexpress]

Biden administration delivers brusque message to Pakistan : Guardian

With relations frosty over Taliban victory and Pakistani repression, deputy secretary of state visits for ‘specific and narrow purpose’

A senior US official visiting Islamabad has made clear to Pakistan that the Biden administration has downgraded the bilateral relationship.

On the eve of her arrival, the deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, used a public event in Mumbai to lay out in blunt terms the new parameters of US-Pakistan relations, stressing there would be no equivalence with Washington’s deepening ties to India.

The Islamabad trip was for “a very specific and narrow purpose”, Sherman said, to talk about Afghanistan and the Taliban.

“We don’t see ourselves building a broad relationship with Pakistan, and we have no interest in returning to the days of hyphenated India-Pakistan,” she added. “That’s not where we are. That’s not where we’re going to be.”

Sherman’s reception in Pakistan the next day was stilted. A planned meeting with the prime minister, Imran Khan, never materialised. Senior Pakistan government officials told the Guardian that there was diplomatic tension between the two countries that needed to be resolved and that Khan was angry that he had still not received a phone call from Joe Biden.

However, Fawad Chaudhry, the information minister, said that the talks with Sherman had gone well. “I think she spoke very warmly in Pakistan and she has understood Pakistan’s point of view,” Chaudhry said.

Biden sets great store by his personal relations with world leaders, and in his speech marking the completion of the military withdrawal from Afghanistan on 31 August the president said the new emphasis would be on regional diplomacy. In that context, the decision not to call is intended to be an unambiguous signal of Washington’s displeasure with Khan’s attitude to Afghanistan.

Khan described the Taliban takeover as “breaking the chains of slavery”. The US wants Pakistan to maintain international solidarity in withholding recognition of the Taliban while pressing for women’s rights and other democratic principles.

The cold approach has come as a shock to Islamabad, which had been accustomed to Trump’s informal and personal relationship with Khan.

In a recent leaked memo, the foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, urged the Pakistani embassy in Washington to get a call arranged between Biden and Khan.

“In spite of the existing situation in Afghanistan, and the key role played by Pakistan, it is unfortunate that the White House remains indifferent to the Pakistani leadership,” the letter said, blaming “the immature understanding of the White House staff”.

“You are thus expected to take adequate measures, ensuring that enough diplomatic steps are taken to guarantee the strategic relevance of Pakistan in all diplomatic forums.”

The foreign minister insisted the letter was a fake but official sources said it was authentic.

Asked about the absence of a presidential phone call to Khan, the White House said it had nothing to add to non-committal remarks by the press secretary, Jen Psaki, in late September when she said she didn’t “have anything to predict at this point in time”.

Pakistan has been long accused of playing a double game in the fight against terrorism, on one hand being a supposed ally in the US “war on terror” while also supporting and sponsoring the Taliban, and allowing them to live and regroup on Pakistan soil.
Cyril Almeida, a columnist and analyst, said: “Since 9/11, the US has seen Pakistan through an Afghan prism. Now that Pakistan is perceived to have won another proxy war against a superpower in Afghanistan, the superpower appears to be in no mood to forgive or forget.”

The issue is urgent for Pakistan, which is anxious to get flows of humanitarian aid going across the border and forestall a complete collapse in Afghanistan which would lead to a huge, destabilising influx of refugees.

“Pakistan is desperate to move on from the past and let bygones be bygones and wants to broaden out its relationship and focus on geo-economics, but from Washington’s standpoint, Afghanistan is going to continue to dominate its interests in the region for the foreseeable future,” Elizabeth Threlkeld, the director of the South Asia programme at the Stimson Center, said.

Since the Taliban came into power in mid-August, Pakistan has been publicly talking about the future recognition of the Taliban government, which has close ties to Pakistan’s powerful military intelligence services, the ISI.

Last week, in an interview with the Turkish-state affiliated TRT World, Khan said the United States will “sooner or later” have to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

There is a fear among western countries and diplomats that Pakistan may recognise the Taliban new government and undermine international efforts to pressure the Taliban into making assurances about human rights, security and the freedoms of women. A report published in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, quoting the US sources, reported that the United States does not want Pakistan to recognise the Taliban regime before the rest of the international community.

Almeida said it has not helped that, since the collapse of the Afghan government and the takeover by the Taliban, Pakistan has been seen to be earnestly pleading the group’s case to the world as well as making it very public that it is playing a role in helping establish the new Taliban cabinet.

Zahid Hussain, the author of No-Win War: the Paradox of US-Pakistan Relations in Afghanistan’s Shadow, said that relations were at their lowest ebb. “There is lack of hope that the relations will get better, as the things are not moving towards rapprochement between both countries. Today, we don’t see the strategic relations between the US-Pakistan – it is only a transactional relation now,” he said.

In contrast to the Trump administration, the Biden administration has been more focused on promoting democracy and human rights globally and many believe that Biden will eventually press the Pakistan premier on the human rights abuses and censorship of the media that have become rampant in Pakistan.

A US state department report published in 2021 had a detailed and damning chapter on the human rights violations in Pakistan. The chapter portrayed a bleak situation in Pakistan in terms of issues such as human rights abuses, suppression of freedom of speech, marginalisation of women and minorities in Pakistan.

However, senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a former committee head of human rights in the senate of Pakistan, said that while the US had been “silent for a long time when it involves democracy and human rights violation”, the Biden administration could play a crucial role in holding Khan’s administration to account.

“It can be damaging for Pakistan,” said Khokhar. “The current Khan regime is known for the suppression of free speech and democratic norms. We think Biden will go hard on Pakistan.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...stration-delivers-brusque-message-to-pakistan

 

[Napa]

With relations frosty over Taliban victory and Pakistani repression, deputy secretary of state visits for ‘specific and narrow purpose’

A senior US official visiting Islamabad has made clear to Pakistan that the Biden administration has downgraded the bilateral relationship.

On the eve of her arrival, the deputy secretary of state, Wendy Sherman, used a public event in Mumbai to lay out in blunt terms the new parameters of US-Pakistan relations, stressing there would be no equivalence with Washington’s deepening ties to India.

The Islamabad trip was for “a very specific and narrow purpose”, Sherman said, to talk about Afghanistan and the Taliban.

“We don’t see ourselves building a broad relationship with Pakistan, and we have no interest in returning to the days of hyphenated India-Pakistan,” she added. “That’s not where we are. That’s not where we’re going to be.”

Though the US fought a stupid unwinnable war, its government and military still feel humiliated and are angry. They want Pakistan to pay.

Sherman’s reception in Pakistan the next day was stilted. A planned meeting with the prime minister, Imran Khan, never materialised. Senior Pakistan government officials told the Guardian that there was diplomatic tension between the two countries that needed to be resolved and that Khan was angry that he had still not received a phone call from Joe Biden.

However, Fawad Chaudhry, the information minister, said that the talks with Sherman had gone well. “I think she spoke very warmly in Pakistan and she has understood Pakistan’s point of view,” Chaudhry said.

Biden sets great store by his personal relations with world leaders, and in his speech marking the completion of the military withdrawal from Afghanistan on 31 August the president said the new emphasis would be on regional diplomacy. In that context, the decision not to call is intended to be an unambiguous signal of Washington’s displeasure with Khan’s attitude to Afghanistan.

Khan described the Taliban takeover as “breaking the chains of slavery”. The US wants Pakistan to maintain international solidarity in withholding recognition of the Taliban while pressing for women’s rights and other democratic principles.

The cold approach has come as a shock to Islamabad, which had been accustomed to Trump’s informal and personal relationship with Khan.

Shock? for 20 years Pakistan provided refuge and other help to the Taliban which killed 3,500+ US troops, and now Pakistan is shocked that the US is angry?

In a recent leaked memo, the foreign minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, urged the Pakistani embassy in Washington to get a call arranged between Biden and Khan.

“In spite of the existing situation in Afghanistan, and the key role played by Pakistan, it is unfortunate that the White House remains indifferent to the Pakistani leadership,” the letter said, blaming “the immature understanding of the White House staff”.

“You are thus expected to take adequate measures, ensuring that enough diplomatic steps are taken to guarantee the strategic relevance of Pakistan in all diplomatic forums.”

The foreign minister insisted the letter was a fake but official sources said it was authentic.

Asked about the absence of a presidential phone call to Khan, the White House said it had nothing to add to non-committal remarks by the press secretary, Jen Psaki, in late September when she said she didn’t “have anything to predict at this point in time”.

Pakistan has been long accused of playing a double game in the fight against terrorism, on one hand being a supposed ally in the US “war on terror” while also supporting and sponsoring the Taliban, and allowing them to live and regroup on Pakistan soil.
Cyril Almeida, a columnist and analyst, said: “Since 9/11, the US has seen Pakistan through an Afghan prism. Now that Pakistan is perceived to have won another proxy war against a superpower in Afghanistan, the superpower appears to be in no mood to forgive or forget.”

The issue is urgent for Pakistan, which is anxious to get flows of humanitarian aid going across the border and forestall a complete collapse in Afghanistan which would lead to a huge, destabilising influx of refugees.

“Pakistan is desperate to move on from the past and let bygones be bygones and wants to broaden out its relationship and focus on geo-economics, but from Washington’s standpoint, Afghanistan is going to continue to dominate its interests in the region for the foreseeable future,” Elizabeth Threlkeld, the director of the South Asia programme at the Stimson Center, said.

Pakistan is desperate? But I thought it won a war beating the mighty US. Oh, I forgot that it will be looking for another bailout from the US taxpayer funded IMF. I guess the lesson is "you can't fool all the people all the time" or "don't bite the hand that feeds you".

Geo-economics? A new term invented by people who believe that Afghanistan and Pakistan occupy a geographical location vital for world economies. Sorry, geographical location doesn't count for much.

Since the Taliban came into power in mid-August, Pakistan has been publicly talking about the future recognition of the Taliban government, which has close ties to Pakistan’s powerful military intelligence services, the ISI.

Last week, in an interview with the Turkish-state affiliated TRT World, Khan said the United States will “sooner or later” have to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan.

There is a fear among western countries and diplomats that Pakistan may recognise the Taliban new government and undermine international efforts to pressure the Taliban into making assurances about human rights, security and the freedoms of women. A report published in Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, quoting the US sources, reported that the United States does not want Pakistan to recognise the Taliban regime before the rest of the international community.

Almeida said it has not helped that, since the collapse of the Afghan government and the takeover by the Taliban, Pakistan has been seen to be earnestly pleading the group’s case to the world as well as making it very public that it is playing a role in helping establish the new Taliban cabinet.

Zahid Hussain, the author of No-Win War: the Paradox of US-Pakistan Relations in Afghanistan’s Shadow, said that relations were at their lowest ebb. “There is lack of hope that the relations will get better, as the things are not moving towards rapprochement between both countries. Today, we don’t see the strategic relations between the US-Pakistan – it is only a transactional relation now,” he said.

In contrast to the Trump administration, the Biden administration has been more focused on promoting democracy and human rights globally and many believe that Biden will eventually press the Pakistan premier on the human rights abuses and censorship of the media that have become rampant in Pakistan.

A US state department report published in 2021 had a detailed and damning chapter on the human rights violations in Pakistan. The chapter portrayed a bleak situation in Pakistan in terms of issues such as human rights abuses, suppression of freedom of speech, marginalisation of women and minorities in Pakistan.

However, senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, a former committee head of human rights in the senate of Pakistan, said that while the US had been “silent for a long time when it involves democracy and human rights violation”, the Biden administration could play a crucial role in holding Khan’s administration to account.

“It can be damaging for Pakistan,” said Khokhar. “<b>The current Khan regime is known for the suppression of free speech and democratic norms.</b> We think Biden will go hard on Pakistan.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...stration-delivers-brusque-message-to-pakistan

And giving best buddy China a pass on the oppression of fellow Muslim Ugyhurs.
[MENTION=76058]cricketjoshila[/MENTION] [MENTION=151383]Local.Dada[/MENTION] [MENTION=90888]Itachi[/MENTION] [MENTION=134505]rhony[/MENTION]

 

[MenInG]

Two days after declining President Joe Biden’s invitation for a summit on democracy, Pakistan on Friday tried to win over the US by emphasising the importance Islamabad attached to its relationship with Washington.

“We remain closely engaged with the US on a range of issues. We value our partnership with the US and we wish to expand it bilaterally as well as in terms of regional and international cooperation,” Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar told a weekly news briefing.

But he could not cite a compelling reason as to why Pakistan opted out of the democracy summit if the country valued partnership with Washington.

When asked to explain rationale behind Pakistan’s move, the spokesperson referred to the statement already put out by the ministry on the issue and insisted he had nothing to add to it. “With regard to the summit for democracy, I would like to say that our issued statement speaks for itself.”

The cautious reaction and the carefully-drafted statement suggested that it was not an easy decision for Pakistan to take.

If the official sources are to be believed China was keen that Pakistan must stay away from President Biden’s initiative which, according to Beijing, was not meant for democracy but to advance the geostrategic interests of Washington.

The reaction by the Chinese Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson calling Pakistan a “real iron brother” while sharing Pakistani Foreign Office statements was enough to suggest that Islamabad consulted Beijing before making the final decision.

But China was not the only factor. Pakistan was also not happy with the format of the summit. Except for a few select leaders, who were to join Biden, others including Pakistan were asked to send pre-recorded statements for the summit of their respective leaders.

There was no debate or discussion planned and hence Islamabad felt it was appropriate to engage the US on the subject at an opportune moment.

When asked the spokesperson made it clear that Pakistan, in principle, never wanted to enter into bloc politics and the prime minister’s statement was reflective of that longstanding policy.

But observers feel that by staying away from the summit, Pakistan clearly sided with China.

The spokesperson, however, played down the debate on the decision to skip the summit. He termed it “unfounded” when asked if the decision to stay away from the summit was taken because China opposed it.

More than 100 countries were invited to the virtual summit. China and Russia were excluded, but Taiwan, which Beijing views as China’s part, was invited. The invitation to Taiwan drew a strong reaction from Beijing.

Both the Russian and Chinese envoys to the US penned a joint essay, criticising Washington for seeking divisions through organising such summits.

Meanwhile, official sources said the Pakistani decision should not be seen through the prism of bilateral exchanges. They added that both the countries were continuing with the normal bilateral engagements.

“There have been exchanges recently as you are aware that include a delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Gregory W Meeks and there is another delegation arriving tonight led by Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Senator King, all reflective of continuing, cooperative exchanges with the US,” the spokesperson stressed.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/2333373/pakistan-tries-to-soothe-us-with-charm-offensive

 

[transparent opacity]

Pakistan values relations with US, wants enhanced economic ties: PM Imran

ISLAMABAD:
Prime Minister Imran Khan underlined on Saturday that Pakistan values its long-standing relationship with the United States and was committed to expanding it in all spheres, particularly in the economic dimension.

The premier reiterated that a deeper and stronger partnership between the two countries was mutually beneficial and critical for the region’s peace, security and prosperity, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office.

PM Imran shared these views after a four-member delegation of the US Senate, comprising Senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn and Benjamin Sasse, called on him in Islamabad. Senator King is also a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee of the US.

The premier’s statement has come on the heels of Pakistan’s decision to skip the summit on democracy convened by US President Joe Biden on December 9 and 10, which experts believe could entail serious implications for the already strained relations between the two countries.

Offering rare praise, the opposition parties have welcomed the PTI government’s decision to decline the US’ invitation to its summit, underscoring that Pakistan’s friendship with China cemented unity among the political parties of the country.

Warmly welcoming the senators, PM Imran hoped that the visits of Congressional delegations will help strengthen mutual understanding and forge closer people-to-people contacts.

“A deeper and stronger partnership between the two countries was mutually beneficial and critical for the region’s peace, security and prosperity,” he said.

With regard to the evolving situation in Afghanistan, the premier emphasized that Pakistan and the US must have a deeper engagement to promote the shared objectives of peace, stability and economic development.

Imran particularly underscored the urgent need to support the Afghan people by taking all possible measures to prevent a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse in the country.

He also highlighted the importance of closer cooperation to address the security threats in the region, including terrorism.

Apprising the delegation about the continuation of human rights violations in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), PM Imran underscored that the extremist and exclusionist policies of the RSS-inspired BJP were posing a threat to regional peace and security.

“The US must play its role in the maintenance of peace and stability in the region,” he said, underscoring that, for its part, Pakistan remained ready to pursue measures that would reinforce stability in the region, if the enabling environment was created by India.

Recalling collective struggles of Pakistan and the US over the decades in promoting peace and security globally, the official statement read, “the Senators deeply appreciated Pakistan’s recent contribution in the evacuation of the American nationals and others from Afghanistan post-15 August.”

It said that the senators reaffirmed their commitment to a stable and broad-based Pakistan-US bilateral relationship.

“Given the size of Pakistan’s population as well as its geostrategic location, they emphasised that the US and Pakistan should make determined efforts to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation.”

https://tribune.com.pk/story/233347...RCMHZFeS1HVnpTSTdlOXdJV19VSmJRbzRROVktUFZYUlI

 

[MenInG]

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Tuesday that Pakistan wants a relationship with the United States which is in ‘sync’ with the country’s changed priorities.

Speaking at Margalla Dialogue Forum in Islamabad, the foreign minister said the new approach is in line with Prime Minister Imran Khan’s vision of shifting from geo-politics to geo-economics.

While maintaining that Islamabad values its longstanding relationship with Washington, Qureshi said the country “wanted multifaceted ties that were not susceptible to the vagaries of regional and international policies”.

“Recent strategic rivalry between the world powers has added to the nuances of global peace,” Qureshi said. “The mindset of geopolitics must be restructured and the importance of geo-economics must be acknowledged. The future of a successful foreign policy depends on not repeating the strategic mistakes of the early 1990s.”

The country’s top diplomat added that enhanced trade and investment ties with the US and cooperation with regards to regional connectivity can work to Pakistan’s mutual benefit.

Regarding the situation in Afghanistan, Qureshi warned that a dire humanitarian crisis is looming in the war-torn country and it has consequences for the region and beyond.

“Pakistan is hosting an extraordinary session of the OIC on Sunday to mobilise support for providing adequate food, medicine and housing to millions of Afghans in dire distress,” he said. “Pakistan continues to work at every level for a stable, peaceful and prosperous regional future.”

He added that Pakistan had been working closely with the international partners for humanitarian outreach and bringing together neighbouring countries of Afghanistan and international stakeholders for a coordinated approach.

The foreign minister also mentioned the role played by Pakistan in facilitating Afghan peace talks and the evacuations of foreign nationals from Afghanistan.

“Pakistan has advocated and worked for the establishment of an inclusive polity in Afghanistan, respecting the rights of all ethnic and religious minorities as well as of women,” he said. “Afghan government has assured all its neighbours that their soil will not be allowed to be used for terrorism. The same message has been given by Kabul to extra-regional powers.”

Referring to Indian atrocities in Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the foreign minister said it as the duty of the United Nations and the international community to hold India accountable for the unconscionable state of affairs.

“India must realize that without resolving the Kashmir dispute, we cannot free the peoples of South Asia from perennial instability,” he stressed.

The foreign minister also emphasised on technology and scientific changes, which were already impacting war and peace, climate change, economies and geo-politics.

“Big tech, by amassing and monopolising data is outgrowing capitalism as we know it. By redesigning supply chains, virtual reality and the way we think and live,” the FM said.

He added that it was data control that influenced mindsets and shaped narratives and ultimately crafted the 'perception game'.

“Staying connected, staying ahead and staying alert in the digital space is of paramount importance in achieving foreign policy goals,” he said. “There is no doubt that Covid-19 has accelerated the digital diplomacy trajectory. Diplomacy now does not rely upon the leadership to leadership telephone calls or state visits.”

Technology, he said, had never played such a definitive role in relationships.

“Perception wars are won and lost on Twitter, so what better place to use fewer resources and achieve great outcomes in a short amount of time. I am happy to share that FO has clearly prioritised digital alliances. Entering for instance, as the founding member of KSA-led digital cooperation organisation in record time,” the foreign minister said.

Express Tribune

 

[MenInG]

WASHINGTON: The United States has ‘clearly distanced’ itself from Pakistan, former US military chief Mike Mullen said as the White House and the State Department publicly reject claims of their involvement in Pakistan’s domestic politics.

“It is difficult, difficult to say,” said Admiral Mullen when asked to describe Washington’s relations with Pakistan, which was once a close US ally in the war against terror and during the cold war.

“I think we have clearly distanced ourselves from Pakistan over the last decade and Pakistan has more and more fallen under the umbrella of China,” he told VOA Urdu Service in Washington this week.

Admiral Mullen, who was chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff from October 2007 to September 2011, was also named in the so-called Memogate controversy, which revolved around a memorandum, ostensibly seeking US support for preventing a feared military takeover in Pakistan that never happened.

He noted that China was not only Pakistan’s neighbour but it “has been supportive of Pakistan” as well.

This closeness, he said, “suits China’s global ambition” because Beijing would prefer to have a neighbor “closer to them and not close to the US”.

For these reasons, the US-Pakistan relationship “is going to… be tense for quite some time,” he added.

Asked if he believed Pakistan helped the Taliban take over Kabul in August last year, Admiral Mullen said: “They did not do much to stop it for sure.”

He recalled that as the US army chief he had told a congressional hearing that Pakistani intelligence agencies were active in Afghanistan “and I still believe … that connectivity is there. It sort of cuts both ways.”

The former US military chief reiterated a complaint that’s often heard in Washington that Pakistan “played on both sides (the US and the Taliban)” in Afghanistan.

On Thursday afternoon, the White House and the US State Department publicly addressed Prime Minister Imran Khan’s claim that foreign powers were supporting the attempt to unseat him.

During a regular press briefing, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield, however, rejected this claim as incorrect.

“Absolutely no truth to that allegation,” she said, responding to a question.

At the State Department, spokesperson Ned Price also responded to a question about the alleged US involvement in Pakistan’s domestic politics.

“We are closely following developments in Pakistan, we respect and support Pakistan’s constitutional process and rule of law,” Mr Price said. “However, when it comes to that allegation, there is no truth to it.”

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2022

 

[MenInG]

COAS Bajwa:

'Long and strategic relationship with US'

The army chief also spoke about Pakistan's relations with other countries, including the United States.

Amid concerns about a contestation between global powers, Pakistan was positioning itself as a melting pot for international economic interests by focusing on connectivity and friendship, he added.

"Pakistan does not believe in camp politics and our bilateral relations with our partners are not at the expense of our relationships with other countries."

Pakistan enjoyed a close strategic relationship with China which was demonstrated by the country's commitment towards the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), he said, adding, "equally, we share a long and excellent strategic relationship with the US which remains our largest export market."

He said that Pakistan sought to broaden and expand relations with both China and the US "without impacting our relations with [either]".

In addition, relations with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Gulf countries, South East Asia and Japan were also important for Pakistan's progress, the COAS said.

DAWN

 

[MenInG]

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday said that Pakistan’s relations with the United States stood “on their own” and should not be seen through the “prism of Afghanistan” or the “lens of China”.

“Let bygones be bygones,” the premier said at a diplomatic reception held at the US embassy in Islamabad to commemorate the 75 years of relations between Pakistan and the US.


“As I said, there will be a lot what your [US] side will want to say […] but as long as we renew this friendship with sincere and serious dialogue, I can assure you that nothing will go wrong.”

PM Shehbaz said that during the long journey of 75 years, Pakistan-US relations “touched their apex of glory but there were also several dips”. “We know the reasons but this is not the right time to recall them.

“I want to say this very sincerely today that we want to build and reset these relations back to normal on the basis of trust, respect, and mutual understanding,” he said.

Shehbaz stressed that it was time for the two countries to move forward and find ways to warm up the relationship to levels seen in the past.

Talking about support and aid from the US over the years, the prime minister expressed regret that aid worth $32 billion contributed by the country in the past was not spent “in the right direction”.

“Had we used this aid in a well-planned and properly supervised [manner] we would have broken our begging bowl. But then there is no point in crying over broken bowls.”

But now, Shehbaz underlined that Pakistan wanted to stand on its own feet now.

The prime minister also recalled that during his visit to New York, he met US President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken who assured him of support for the flood-affected people.

He went on to say that the floods in Pakistan this year were a “disaster beyond means”.

“As we speak, 4m acre area where standing crops of cotton, rice, sugarcane and date [stood are] all gone. 1600 people have left this world along with 400 children. More than a million mud houses have been absolutely thrown into the Arabian Sea.

“Life savings of people have gone away. They are waiting under open skies for help and it is our duty to serve them. But whatever we do is not enough,” he highlighted.

The yawning gap between demand and supply, Shehbaz highlighted, was widening by the hour and this was just the first phase.

“The final phase of reconstruction and rehabilitation is yet to come. But that costs money and therefore, I again request you […] that now we need the international community to stand by us and support us.”

He clarified that the government was not asking for money but relief, funds for rebuilding the infrastructure, jobs, livelihoods, commerce, trade, and exports.

“What I am saying is that we need to go back to those wonderful times where our relations with the US weren’t beholding to others but stood on their own,” Shehbaz concluded.

US reiterates support for rehabilitation of flood-hit areas
Earlier, US Ambassador Donald Blome, while addressing the ceremony, reiterated support for the rehabilitation of the flood-hit areas of the country.

He said that the people of the United States continue to stand with Pakistan, pointing out that the strength of Pakistan-US friendship was demonstrated by more than $66 million from the US in flood response for the country, according to a Radio Pakistan story.

Ambassador Blome said that over the past 75 years, the United States and Pakistan built a relationship based on mutual respect, shared goals and values.

Over the decades, he went on, more than $32 billion in US support benefited the country and improved the lives of the people.

Blome added that the rapidly changing world provided a pivotal opportunity to reframe relations between the two countries, expressing willingness to advance shared interests in trade, investment, clean energy, health, security, education, and other shared priorities.