ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday emphasised that Pakistan and the US must have deeper engagement to promote the shared objectives of peace, stability and economic development in Afghanistan.

The prime minister, in a meeting with A four-member US Senate delegation including Senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn and Benjamin Sasse, particularly underscored urgent need to support Afghan people by taking all possible measures to prevent a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse. He also highlighted importance of closer cooperation to address security threats in the region, including terrorism, PM office said.

All the four senators are members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, while Senator King is also member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Warmly welcoming the senators, the prime minister underlined that Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the US and was committed to expanding it in all spheres, particularly in the economic dimension.

He hoped that visits of congressional delegations would help strengthen mutual understanding and forge closer people-to-people contacts.

US Senators hold official talks at Foreign Office

The prime minister reiterated that a deeper and stronger partnership between the two countries was mutually beneficial and critical for the region’s peace, security and prosperity.

Apprising the delegation about the continuation of egregious human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the prime minister underscored that the extremist and exclusionist policies of the RSS-inspired BJP were posing a threat to regional peace and security.

He stressed that US must play its role for maintenance of peace and stability in the region.

The prime minister underscored that, for its part, Pakistan remained ready to pursue measures that would reinforce peace, stability and prosperity in the region, if the enabling environment was created by India.

Recalling collective struggles of Pakistan and the US over the decades in promoting peace and security globally, the senators deeply appreciated Pakistan’s recent contribution in evacuation of the American nationals and others from Afghanistan post-15 August.

They reaffirmed their commitment to a stable and broad-based Pakistan-US bilateral relationship.  They emphasized that given the size of Pakistan’s population as well as its geo-strategic location, the US and Pakistan should make determined efforts to promote trade, investment and economic cooperation.

 

Meanwhile, Pakistan has stressed upon the US the importance of urgent release of Afghanistan’s frozen financial resources and said this would help in preventing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The matter was raised with a four-member US Senate delegation by the Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood during their talks at the Foreign Office on Saturday. The delegation included Senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn and Benjamin Sasse.

The foreign secretary underscored that Pakistan valued its long-standing relationship with the United States and wanted to further deepen bilateral ties based on shared interests.

The Pakistani side emphasized that deeper engagement between the two countries was pivotal for peace, security and development in the region.

Highlighting Pakistan’s pivot to geo-economics, the Pakistan side emphasized that Pakistan welcomed enhanced bilateral trade and greater investments from the US and hoped that the US companies would reap dividends from Pakistan’s emerging market status.

The US delegation was also briefed on the serious humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan underscored that the international community must help the Afghan people avert the crisis through immediate support and financial assistance.

The delegation was briefed about unabated gross human rights violations against Kashmiris in IIOJK and it was underscored that the US Congress must play its due role in this regard.

The Senators, acknowledging the importance of long-standing Pakistan-US ties, affirmed the desire to further strengthen the bilateral relationship in its myriad dimensions. The Senators appreciated Pakistan’s role in the evacuation of US nationals and others post-15 August 2021 and stressed the importance of closer cooperation to support the objectives of a peaceful and stable Afghanistan.