A telephone conversation between US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Pakistan’s newly elected Prime Minister Imran Khan has stimulated up controversy. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi maintained that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not mention anything about terrorists operating in Pakistan during a telephone call to new Prime Minister Imran Khan. He made the statement at a news conference in Islamabad, a day after Pompeo’s first conversation with Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.
Qureshi further said that State Department statement issued after the call was “contrary to the truth.” “The impression that has been given in their press release, in which they are mentioning “terrorists operating in Pakistan,” is contrary to the facts with reality.
The U.S. readout of the call stated that Pompeo “raised the importance of Pakistan taking decisive action against all terrorists operating in Pakistan.” State Department spokesperson Heather Nauert stood by the readout while speaking to reporters’ after her Pakistani counterpart Mohammad Faisal, called the Department of State’s press release “factually incorrect” and urged an immediate correction.
With Shah Mahmood Qureshi elected as the Foreign Minister of Pakistan a choice which was expected due to his political expertise, many are looking forward to how the foreign policy of Pakistan will open out in the next five years. It will be a test for the new federal set up too, to not just improve diplomatic ties but also move them towards some stability.
A Foreign Minister has a very major role in shaping the country’s diplomatic future, and PTI is not only expecting cooperation from Afghanistan but also continued uninterrupted dialogue with India and US. While especially healthy Pak-US relationship is highly important in the current scenario. Tehreek-e-Insaf is adamant to establish good relations with the United States based on mutual trust and respect.
Pakistan surely has been on the back foot due to the absence of a Foreign Minister and this allows space for international pressure and others taking advantage of the lack of clear representation. The new government must also ensure that Pakistani missions abroad are actually performing their jobs as they have government servants rather than rulers, especially with PTI hoping to actually deliver on the foreign policy that many before have promised too.
Tehreek-e-Insaf is adamant to establish good relations with United States based on mutual trust and respect
