Pak envoy briefs US Armed Services Committee Chairman on India-Afghanistan aggression

WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, on Friday said Pakistan’s national security focus is shifting from geopolitics to geo-economics, adding that the scope of bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the United States is expected to expand further in 2026.

The ambassador made these remarks during a meeting with Chairman of the US House Armed Services Committee, Congressman Mike Rogers, according to a press statement.

Expressing confidence in deeper engagement, Ambassador Rizwan Sheikh said the coming year would see enhanced collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

Drawing attention to the events of May 2025, Ambassador Rizwan Sheikh stated that due to India’s irresponsible and aggressive posture, the security situation of the region faced grave threats.

He noted that in a conflict between two nuclear-armed states, the nature of warfare had evolved beyond conventional means to include the use of advanced technologies. He said the use of dual-capability weapons like the BrahMos missile in a region home to 1.7 billion people is extremely concerning.

“Any decision based on apprehensions and misperceptions can be detrimental to regional peace and security”, he said adding that the events of May 2025 proved that despite its declared Indo-Pacific posture, the bulk of India’s military capability remains oriented against Pakistan.

He reiterated that the core and unresolved issue between Pakistan and India remains the right to self-determination of the Kashmiri people, stressing that sustained regional peace requires continued US engagement and commitment.

The ambassador pointed out that the threads of terrorist activities taking place in Pakistan lead back to Afghanistan.

“Terrorist incidents in Pakistan saw a 40 percent increase in 2024, and a further 25 percent increase was observed in such incidents in 2025, he said adding that Pakistan’s peace and security are being affected by the misuse of advanced weapons left behind during the withdrawal from Afghanistan.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to soon establish an institutionalised and structured dialogue process on matters of bilateral interest.