WASHINGTON – Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, called on the US to reinstate foreign military financing and foreign military sales to Islamabad during a conference on the future of Pakistan-US relations at the Wilson Centre think tank.
Khan also urged the US to revive its role in maintaining strategic stability in South Asia, warning about the perils of imbalance in the region. The Ambassador clarified that Pakistan had consulted with the US before signing a deal to import crude oil from Russia and that there was no misunderstanding between the two countries on the matter.
Khan stated that Pakistan seeks to forge strong ties with the US and make them stronger, and that its relationship with China should not affect the US. He urged both countries to opt for cooperation and competition rather than confrontation.
Khan confirmed that Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari would attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Conference in early May.
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Elizabeth Horst, endorsed Khan’s views, calling the Pakistan-US relationship one of the most consequential for both countries, South Asia, and the world.
Horst said that the US was aligned with Pakistan on preventing Afghanistan from becoming a base for terrorism and was exploring cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, and anti-human trafficking.
