Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, met on Friday with US Assistant Secretary of State Paul Kapur in what officials described as an early round of talks aimed at giving concrete shape to the diplomatic warmth displayed by both governments in recent months. The envoy congratulated Kapur on taking charge of the South and Central Asia bureau and used the meeting to emphasize that Islamabad and Washington should move beyond formal statements to build what he called an economically grounded strategic partnership. In a post on X, Ambassador Sheikh said “Discussed ways to translate the leadership-level resolve for stronger Pak-US ties into an economically entrenched strategic partnership, through sustained engagement in multiple areas of mutual interest.” He urged steady, working-level cooperation in trade, investment, energy, and other sectors that could anchor the relationship in something more solid than crisis-driven diplomacy. Assistant Secretary Kapur also commented on X, saying “Pleasure to meet Pakistani Ambassador Sheikh at the State Department today. Discussed ways to advance the US-Pakistan relationship and make our countries more prosperous and secure.” US officials expressed interest in continuing the dialogue, though no detailed roadmap has been laid out yet. Still, the meeting is being seen in Islamabad as a positive step toward reopening old channels and stabilizing ties after several challenging years. Kapur assumed office as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs on 22 October 2025. He is currently on leave from the United States Naval Postgraduate School, where he was a professor in the Department of National Security Affairs. Previously, Kapur was a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, served on the State Department’s Policy Planning Staff, and taught at Claremont McKenna College. Kapur is the author of Dangerous Deterrent: Nuclear Weapons Proliferation and Conflict in South Asia; co-author of India, Pakistan, and the Bomb: Debating Nuclear Stability in South Asia; and co-editor of The Challenges of Nuclear Security: US and Indian Perspectives. His work has also appeared in leading academic journals, in popular news outlets, and in a wide variety of edited volumes. Kapur has directed an annual United States-India Track 1.5 strategic dialogue, as well as other US-India engagements, for the Department of Defence. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago and his BA from Amherst College.
During High-Level US Meeting, Pakistan Pushes for Economic Stability in Bilateral Relations
