ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal this week called for establishing a new equilibrium in ties with the United States (US) based on mutual trust, ground realities and development, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said.
Ties between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies during the Cold War era and after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, have remained strained in recent years. American officials suspected Pakistan supported the Afghan Taliban in regaining Kabul in August 2021 after 20 years of war, damaging ties with Islamabad. Pakistan denies the allegations strongly.
The latest statement came from Iqbal while he met a US congressional delegation led by Jack Bergman, US representative from Michigan’s first congressional district, along with other representatives Thomas Richard Suozzi, Jonathan L. Jackson and other senior US officials in Islamabad.
“In the realities of new geopolitics, there is a need to establish a new equilibrium in Pak-US relations based on ground realities, mutual trust and development-focused partnership,” APP reported Iqbal as saying on Saturday.
The state media said that the meeting between the two sides focused on strengthening Pakistan-US bilateral relations, particularly in the realm of development cooperation and future collaboration across various sectors.
“Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the need to have an understanding of Pakistan’s socio-economic challenges in the aftermaths of the two US-led wars in the region,” the APP said.
Citing his own academic experience in the US, Iqbal acknowledged the transformative impact of American higher education in shaping global leaders and innovators.
The minister called for the establishment of campuses of top-tier American universities in Pakistan, assuring his government would fully facilitate the move.
The American delegation thanked Iqbal for the warm welcome accorded to them, the APP said, adding that they acknowledged Pakistan’s “immense potential” across various sectors and stressed the need to engage the private sector to unlock investment opportunities and build investor confidence.
“The delegation reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic relationship between the two countries and enhancing collaboration in key areas,” the APP said.
Pakistan and Washington have recently moved closer after Islamabad aided Washington in apprehending a highly wanted Daesh operative last month. Both countries have since spoken regularly about the need to collaborate in counter-terrorism operations.
