NEW YORK – Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and US Vice President Mike Pence have reached an agreement to hold dialogues in order to settle the bilateral relations, which began further deteriorate after Donald Trump accused Pakistan of sheltering terrorist.
The agreement surfaced during a meeting between both officials on the sidelines of United Nations General Assembly session in New York. The US vice president also expressed willingness to send a delegation to Pakistan next month for this purpose.
Vice President Mike Pence during the meeting said that the US wanted to have long term partnership with Islamabad in order to bring peace and stability to the region.
In response, PM Abbasi said Pakistan is an active player in war against terrorism, adding that the war caused of huge losses to the country.
Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua talking to media following the meeting said that the prime minister had also informed the US vice president about country’s stand on Trump’s recent Afghan policy.
She added that both sides also decided to continue talks over the Afghanistan issue, Radio Pakistan reported.
She further said that an American delegation will visit Pakistan in October, next month, to ease the tensed relations.
‘Do Not Meet US VP’
The meeting was held despite the opposition of Chairman Senate Raza Rabbani, who asked the Prime Minister Abbasi to not hold meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence.
He said, “If President Trump is not meeting him then the [Pakistan] prime minister should also not meet Mike Pence”.
Trump’s Accusations
In August, US President Donald Trump unleashed his policy of ramping up pressure on Pakistan, a close ally of US, in a bid to fully implement the revamped Afghan war strategy.
Accusing Islamabad of providing safe havens to “agents of chaos, violence, and terror” the tycoon-turned-president clarified to increase pressure on the country to stop any re-emergence of safe havens in order to gain regional peace, besides announcing increase of US troops in Afghanistan.
He said, “We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond,” adding, “Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan.”
