ISLAMABAD – Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Saturday that his country cherishes its long-standing relationship with the United States and is determined to growing it in all areas, particularly in the economic realm.
According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier reaffirmed that a deeper and stronger collaboration between the two countries was mutually beneficial and vital for the region’s peace, security, and development.
Senators Angus King, Richard Burr, John Cornyn, and Benjamin Sasse, together with four other members of the US Senate, visited PM Imran in Islamabad and expressed their opinions. Senator King is also a member of the United States Senate’s Armed Services Committee.
The prime minister’s comment follows Pakistan’s decision to skip US President Joe Biden’s democracy conference on December 9 and 10, which experts fear might have major consequences for the two nations’ already tense relations.
Opposition parties have praised the PTI government’s decision to deny the US invitation to its summit, highlighting how Pakistan’s partnership with China has brought the country’s political parties closer together.
PM Imran extended a warm welcome to the senators, expressing his hope that the delegations’ trips will help deepen mutual understanding and foster deeper people-to-people ties.
He stated that “a deeper and stronger collaboration between the two countries was mutually beneficial and necessary for the region’s peace, security, and prosperity.”
In response to the shifting situation in Afghanistan, the prime minister stressed the importance of a stronger partnership between Pakistan and the United States in order to achieve the shared goals of peace, stability, and economic development.
Imran emphasised the critical importance of assisting the Afghan people by taking all necessary steps to prevent a humanitarian crisis and economic collapse in the country.
He also emphasised the significance of increased cooperation to confront regional security issues, including as terrorism.
PM Imran briefed the group on the ongoing human rights atrocities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), emphasising that the RSS-inspired BJP’s radical and exclusionary policies posed a threat to regional peace and security.
“The United States must play its part in maintaining regional peace and stability,” he said, adding that Pakistan, for its part, was willing to adopt measures that would strengthen regional stability if India provided the enabling atmosphere.
“The Senators profoundly appreciated Pakistan’s recent help in the evacuation of American Americans and others from Afghanistan post-15 August,” the official statement said, recalling the two countries’ decades-long efforts to promote world peace and security.
The senators underlined their commitment to a stable and broad-based bilateral partnership between Pakistan and the United States, according to the statement.
“Given Pakistan’s population and geostrategic location, they stressed the need of the US and Pakistan working together to enhance trade, investment, and economic cooperation.”
