WASHINGTON – The US government has wanted to continue a careful engagement with Pakistan through diplomatic channel.
The indication came at a Friday afternoon news briefing at the White House when Press Secretary Jen Psaki ignored replied questions on US relations with Pakistan.
Answering a question regarding ties with Pakistan, Psaki said, “We have a long relationship with Pakistan, and that is a relationship we’ll continue through diplomatic channels. So, I don’t have any more comments on that.”
A Pakistani journalist reminded her that many, many months ago Prime Minister Imran Khan had “requested a telephone conversation” with US President Joe Biden. “We haven’t heard anything about that. Is there a specific reason for not communicating with the Pakistani leadership?” the journalist asked.
The White House press secretary replied, “I don’t have any update on a planned call or engagement. Obviously, we engage with Pakistan and a range of leaders at a number of levels through the State Department, through our national security team.”
Last month, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a news briefing that the United States still considered Pakistan a strategic partner and Islamabad does not need to strain its relations with Beijing to maintain ties with Washington.
“Pakistan is a strategic partner of the United States. We have an important relationship with the government in Islamabad, and it’s a relationship that we value across a number of fronts,” he said.
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