ISLAMABAD: US Vice President Mike Pence reiterated to Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi that his government “must do more to address the continued presence of the Taliban, Haqqani Network, and other terrorist groups” operating in Pakistan, the White House said in a statement.
Abbasi, who is on a private visit to the US, met with Pence on Saturday. On Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said active negotiations and outreach between the two countries is ongoing.
“It is a difficult balancing act,” he said. “We are actively seeking to find common ground, as is manifested in continued engagement at all levels between Pakistan and the US.”
Former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told Arab News that the two countries’ interests “converge on peace in Afghanistan and countering terror.”
He added: “Both need to talk more and cooperate more. There have been positive developments in this regard.”
Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, a professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, said Pence’s request for Islamabad to do more “means more cooperation.”
Political analyst Qamar Cheema told Arab News: “The US has been asking Pakistan to do more against the Haqqani Network, but the US also accepts that Pakistan has taken certain measures that are appreciable. If the trust deficit between the two countries is bridged, that will be a win-win situation.”
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua visited Washington on March 7-8. She met senior US officials, including the deputy secretary of state and the deputy national security advisor.
Janjua also had in-depth discussions with South Asia experts at the US Institute of Peace, the Foreign Ministry said.
“She reaffirmed Pakistan’s constructive approach to work together with the United States for regional peace and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.
Abbasi, who is on a private visit to the US, met with Pence on Saturday. On Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said active negotiations and outreach between the two countries is ongoing.
“It is a difficult balancing act,” he said. “We are actively seeking to find common ground, as is manifested in continued engagement at all levels between Pakistan and the US.”
Former Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir told Arab News that the two countries’ interests “converge on peace in Afghanistan and countering terror.”
He added: “Both need to talk more and cooperate more. There have been positive developments in this regard.”
Dr. Zafar Nawaz Jaspal, a professor at the School of Politics and International Relations, Quaid-i-Azam University, said Pence’s request for Islamabad to do more “means more cooperation.”
Political analyst Qamar Cheema told Arab News: “The US has been asking Pakistan to do more against the Haqqani Network, but the US also accepts that Pakistan has taken certain measures that are appreciable. If the trust deficit between the two countries is bridged, that will be a win-win situation.”
Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua visited Washington on March 7-8. She met senior US officials, including the deputy secretary of state and the deputy national security advisor.
Janjua also had in-depth discussions with South Asia experts at the US Institute of Peace, the Foreign Ministry said.
“She reaffirmed Pakistan’s constructive approach to work together with the United States for regional peace and stability,” the ministry said in a statement.
