ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: Pakistan would make paradigm shift in its foreign policy, the Foreign Affairs Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif said on Thursday, adding that they would not allow anyone to make Pakistan scapegoat.
“We will bring new paradigm if I talk cautiously,” Asif said while giving briefing on Pakistan’s Foreign Policy at the end of three-day Envoys’ Conference in Islamabad. “The prime minister also asserted on new paradigm,” he said.
The foreign minister said Pakistan was not terminating its relations with the United States but it wanted ties with the US based on mutual respect.
The minister said the United States should have respected Pakistan’s sovereignty and integrity. “We won’t let Pakistani nation be made scapegoat”, Asif remarked.
Khawaja Asif said the people sitting in Washington were not fully cognizant of Pakistan’s and regional situation.
The minister said Pakistan would move forward with mutual respect with those Countries who acknowledged Pakistani’s sacrifices. He said Pakistan wanted relations with all the Countries including the United States based on mutual trust and respect.
The foreign minister said he would shortly embark on a visit to China where he would meet State Councilor for Foreign Affairs Yang Jiechi and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss bilateral relations as well as regional developments.
Khawaja Asif said he would also visit Iran in next three to four days for meetings with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Javad Zarif.
Talking about the Envoys’ Conference, the minister said the US President Doland Trump’s new Afghan policy was reviewed in the Conference. He said that Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry elaborated the different angles of the policy.
The foreign minister said formulation of a new Foreign policy was inevitable after Trump’s Pak-Afghan policy.
Moreover, he told during the deliberation, detailed discussion was made on ties with the neighbouring Countries specially Pak-India relations He said discussion was also made on the United Nations’ role.
The minister said new geographical changes had been taking place due to the changes in the region. He said new alliances had been emerging so we would also have to determine a new and right direction.
“We will have to change the perception of the world,” he said.
The minister said the World might not acknowledge but we knew we had peace in Pakistan and particularly in Karachi. He said Pakistan had been the only Country winning the war against terrorism.
