ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Wednesday said Pakistan was looking forward to engage with the new US administration for strengthening bilateral relations, as Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State Tony Blinken has indicated to review US-Taliban peace deal, which include reduction of troops and ending war in Afghanistan.

In a statement, Qureshi also offered US investment in special economic zones (SEZs) under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

“If US investors want to invest in special economic zones to be set up under the CPEC, they will be welcomed,” he added.

About Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Qureshi said there was consistency between Pakistan and the new US administration’s policy with regard to the peace process in Afghanistan.

A day earlier, Tony Blinken, who appeared before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing said that he wanted to review the US-Taliban peace deal but clarified that the new administration would also continue the peace process started by the Trump administration.

“We want to end this so-called forever war,” Blinken was quoted by the media as having said during the hearing.

“We want to bring our forces home. We want to retain some capacity to deal with any resurgence of terrorism, which is what brought us there in the first place…We have to look carefully at what has actually been negotiated. I haven’t been privy to it yet,” he added.

Qureshi, however, stated that US President Biden, who administered the oath as 46th US president on Wednesday, has a clear perspective about the South Asian region, particularly Afghanistan.

“The two sides have conformity of views about Afghanistan and other priorities such as the Covid-19 pandemic and the strategy to deal with the climate change issue,” Qureshi added. “Pakistan cannot be ignored due to its geographical features and geo-economic status,” he said, adding there were many opportunities for the US to enhance bilateral cooperation with Pakistan in terms of population, youth ratio and economic prospects.

Qureshi further said the new US administration’s attitude towards China was not one of “confrontation but of competition”.

About India, he said the United States had a bipartisan opinion about India, but it was welcoming that the new US administration had a clear stance about protection of human rights.

He said the world was pointing out gross human rights violations in the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

He expressed hope that the new US administration would play a role in getting stopped the Indian oppression against the eight million defenceless Kashmiri people. Biden is considered to have a greater understanding of the South Asian region, particularly Pakistan and Afghanistan.

He last visited Islamabad on January 12, 2011, as his country’s vice president to reassure Pakistan of America’s long-term commitment.

During his trip, Biden met Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.

According to senior analyst Rahimullah Yusufzai, Biden is much more experienced than his predecessor Donald Trump with regards to his understanding of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

About Afghan peace process, he said Biden on many occasions had indicated reduction of American troops in Afghanistan and an end to the US war.

“I understand that Biden is not against troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan, as he has on many occasions indicated the need to reduce US forces in Afghanistan as well as an end to the war in Afghanistan,” he added.

He said that a complete US withdrawal from Afghanistan seemed highly unlikely and a certain number of American forces would continue to remain in Afghanistan for counterterrorism operations against militant groups such as Daesh.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

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