US working with Pakistan to bring about ‘a stable and secure Afghanistan’

WASHINGTON: The United States of America is working with Pakistan to bring about a more stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan that respects the fundamental rights of all Afghans, including minorities and women.

At his daily news briefing, State Department Spokesman Ned Price said US views Pakistan as an important stakeholder and partner, with whom it is engaging and has engaged to work together to stabilize Afghanistan.

“We view Pakistan as an important stakeholder and important partner with whom we are engaging and have engaged as we work together to bring about an Afghanistan that is more stable, is more secure, is more prosperous, and importantly an Afghanistan that respects the basic and fundamental rights of its people, all of its people, including its minorities, its women, its girls”, he said.

The US State Department spokesperson termed Pakistan an important partner of the US government.

Highlighting US ties with Pakistan, he said we look forward to continue working with the new government in Pakistan across regional and international issues that has the potential to promote peace and prosperity in Pakistan and throughout the region.

Price also appreciated the US relationship with Pakistan and vowed to continue working with the new government.

“For almost 75 years, our relationship with Pakistan has been a vital one and we look forward to continuing that work with the new government in Pakistan across regional and international issues”, he said.

“This is work that has a potential to promote peace and prosperity in Pakistan and throughout the region”, he added.

Price went on to say, “We have already congratulated the new Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on his election”, adding, “We look forward to working closely with his government”.

After Shehbaz Sharif’s election as the new Prime Minister of Pakistan, the US Department of Defense also issued a statement and hoped to continue its “healthy” military-to-military ties with Pakistan despite the change in the government.

“We do have a healthy military-to-military relationship with Pakistani armed forces. And we have every expectation that that will be able to continue to be the case”, Pentagon Press Secretary John F Kirby had said. The Pentagon official said the US recognized that it has shared interests with Pakistan with respect to security and stability. “We recognize that Pakistan plays a key role in the region”.

Ruling out any US military role in Pakistan, he said that America recognized that Pakistan and its people are, themselves, victims of terrorist attacks “inside their own country”.

“I don’t foresee any US military role here. And I’m certainly not going to, again, wade into internal domestic politics in Pakistan,” he told a journalist at the press briefing.