Pakistani PM, U.S. Secretary of State Discuss South Asia Tensions, Bilateral Ties

Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif received a telephone call from U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this evening.

The Prime Minister greeted the U.S. Secretary of State and conveyed his good wishes for President Donald Trump, while expressing Pakistan’s desire to work closely with the U.S. Administration on all areas of mutual interest.

During the telephone call, the Prime Minister shared with Secretary Rubio, Pakistan’s perspective on recent developments in South Asia, since the Pahalgam incident.

While condemning terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, the Primej Minister underscored Pakistan’s leading role in the war against terror and its sacrifice of over 90,000 lives lost and over USD 152 billion in economic losses.

Terming India’s escalatory and provocative behavior as deeply disappointing and worrisome, the Prime Minister said that India’s provocations would only serve to distract Pakistan from its ongoing efforts to defeat terrorism, particularly from militant groups including ISKP, TTP and BLA operating from Afghan soil.

He categorically rejected Indian attempts to link Pakistan to the incident and pointed to his call for a transparent, credible, and neutral investigation to bring out the facts. He urged the U.S. to impress upon India to dial down the rhetoric and act responsibly.

He said it was most regrettable that India had chosen to weaponise water, which was a lifeline for 240 million people of Pakistan, while also stressing that the Indus Waters Treaty had no provision for either side to unilaterally renege from its commitments.

The Prime Minister emphasized that peaceful resolution of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute was the only way to ensure lasting peace in South Asia.

On bilateral cooperation, the Prime Minister highlighted that Pakistan and the U.S. had worked together closely over the past seventy years and there was a lot that both sides could cooperate on, including counter-terrorism and enhanced economic cooperation, particularly the minerals sector.

The Prime Minister also stressed that his Government had undertaken major economic reforms over the past one year, and consequently, Pakistan was now on the road to economic recovery.

Secretary of State Rubio thanked the Prime Minister for the detailed conversation and emphasized the need for both sides to continue working together for peace and stability in South Asia.