ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has discussed the situation in Afghanistan and peace in South Asia region in a meeting with United States (US) Congressmen Joe Wilson and Rob Bresnahan in Washington, the Pakistani government’s information wing said on Thursday.
The development comes amid Pakistan’s strained relations with Afghanistan over a surge in militant attacks that Islamabad has blamed on militant groups operating out of Afghanistan. Afghanistan denies the allegation.
Most of these attacks have been claimed by the Pakistani Taliban, a militant group that Pakistan believes to be an ally of the Afghan Taliban rulers and says has been emboldened since the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in Aug. 2021.
Naqvi, who is currently on a visit to the US, held separate meetings with both Republican congressmen in Washington, according to the Press Information Department (PID) in Islamabad.
“They exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, promotion of Pakistan-US relations, and establishment of lasting peace in the region, particularly the situation in Afghanistan,” the PID said in a statement.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi (second right) meets United States Congressman Rob Bresnahan in Washington, US, on January 22, 2025. (PID)
During the meetings, both sides highlighted the importance of boosting trade and cultural exchanges to strengthen US-Pakistan relations.
Relations between the US and Pakistan have also seen significant ups and downs in recent years. The countries collaborated during the Cold War and in the fight against Al-Qaeda after 9/11.
However, ties between Washington and Islamabad deteriorated as the former suspected the latter of supporting the Taliban in their 2021 takeover of Kabul, allegations which Islamabad rejected.
Tensions rose further in 2022 when former Pakistan premier Imran Khan accused the Biden administration of orchestrating his ouster via a parliamentary vote, a charge the US denied, and more recently over Pakistan’s missile program.
During the meetings, Naqvi described the US as a “strategic partner” of Pakistan, and hoped that President Donald Trump’s second term would bring new dimensions to Pakistan-US relations
“Both sides explored ways to enhance cooperation in various fields,” the PID added.
