WASHINGTON: The Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal has said that Pakistan and the United States need to understand each other’s legitimate security concerns and cooperate with each other to achieve the common objective of defeating terrorism and stabilizing Afghanistan.
Talking to Pakistani media in Washington, Ahsan Iqbal called for a structured dialogue between Pakistan and the United States, and said there should be an open and candid discussion.
The minister said Pakistan desired strong ties with the United States on the basis of mutual respect as both the Countries had a long history of cooperation which had benefitted both. He said any relationship had to be based on dignity and mutual respect for each other and nothing could be achieved through using pressure tactics.
Emphasizing the need for working together, the minister said the US was the biggest stakeholder in Afghanistan at the world level whereas peace and stability in Pakistan was linked to peace and stability in Afghanistan.
For peace in Pakistan, Ahsan Iqbal said there had to be peace in Afghanistan, adding that both Countries could not change their geography.
The interior minister observed that Pakistan did not need the US aid but that the United States had a very important place in Pakistan’s development agenda. He said the US had an important role in developing Pakistan’s human resources.
In reply to a question if the aid-cut would impact Pakistan, the minister said the government was now working with a change approach, and the nation had defeated terrorism with its own resources and had survived hardest of times.
To another question, Ahsan Iqbal said India’s role in Afghanistan was counter-productive. However, he made it clear that Pakistan was fully capable of defending itself and no one could harm the Country. He said peace in South Asia would benefit all regional Countries.
