Pakistan urged the United States on Thursday to restore military financing and sales suspended by the Trump administration as a senior US official acknowledged the importance of this bilateral relationship in a key strategic region.
\n\u201cIt is important that the US restores \u2014 for Pakistan \u2014 Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous administration,\u201d Masood Khan, Pakistan\u2019s envoy in Washington, said at a seminar in Washington.
\nUS Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Elizabeth Horst, however, focused on the need to help rebuild the troubled Pakistani economy and urged Islamabad to work with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to do so.
\n\u201cThe reforms that Pakistan and the IMF agreed to are not easy,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it\u2019s crucial that Pakistan take these actions to bring the country back to sound financial footing, avoid falling into further debt, and grow Pakistan\u2019s economy.\u201d
\nSince the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the US-Pakistan relationship has been stuck in a prolonged period of uncertainty. Intensified US competition with China has further strained Pakistan\u2019s relations with the United States, as did the country\u2019s deteriorating economy.
\nBut recently, there has been an increase in high-level diplomatic engagements and dialogues focused on trade, energy, education, health, and defence.
\nThe half-day conference at Wilson Centre, Washington, focused on how the US-Pakistan relationship can be crafted against the backdrop of multiple challenging developments.
\nAmbassador Khan not only emphasised the need to rejuvenate once close relations between the United States and Pakistan but also underlined the role Washington can play in easing tensions between India and Pakistan.
\n\u201cWe do value the US encouragement to India and Pakistan to engage. But beyond that, the US could act as a catalyst to help resolve the Jammu and Kashmir dispute which has kept the region on the brink of war,\u201d he said.
\nResponding to a question, Ambassador Khan said that Pakistan placed its first order for Russian oil and did so in consultation with the US government.
\nHe also spoke about the role Pakistan can play in bringing stability to Afghanistan.
\n\u201cAfghanistan\u2019s stability is imperative, first and foremost, for its own people who have suffered grievously over the past four decades,\u201d he said.
\nNoting that the United States and China were both concerned about the growth of terrorism in Afghanistan, he said: \u201cLet\u2019s work together to eliminate this threat. Today it is a threat for Pakistan and Afghanistan; if unchecked, it will spread to other parts of the region and beyond.\u201d
\nMs Horst also covered this issue, noting that both the US and Pakistan \u201cwant a region where terrorists pose no threats and borders are respected.\u201d
\nUnderlining the need to look beyond the challenges, Ms Horst urged both nations to work together on economy, trade, investment, regional stability, and especially on global challenges like the climate and health.
\nShe, however, acknowledged that \u201cthe question on everybody\u2019s mind right now is Pakistan\u2019s immediate economic situation.\u201d The United States, she said, \u201cshares concerns about the sustainability of Pakistan\u2019s current economic path\u201d and \u201cwe also know that this economic situation has very personal consequences for tens of millions of Pakistanis who are tightening their belts\u201d.
\nThe United States, she said, would continue to support Pakistan through technical engagements and assistance, \u201cparticularly when it comes to encouraging Pakistan to enact policies that promote an open and fair, transparent business climate\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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