Photo: Zach Rudisin via Wikimedia Commons
Describing talks between Vice President Mike Pence and Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as “important,” the White House has said Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with the United States on President Trump’s South Asia policy.
“The Vice President and Prime Minister Abbasi had an important conversation about the President’s South Asia strategy that was announced late last month,” said a White House readout of the meeting that took place Tuesday on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.
According to the statement the Vice President reiterated President Trump’s belief that “Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort” in the region.
The White House statement said the Vice President “highlighted ways that Pakistan could work with the United States and others to bolster stability and prosperity for all in South Asia.”
Vice President Pence met for the first time with Pakistani Prime Minister Abbasi but the meeting took on a huge significance as the two allies openly voiced their differences and mutual concerns after President Trump’s enunciation of the new strategy which criticizes Pakistan and envisages a wider Indian role in Afghanistan.
The statement reflects that the U.S. continues to demand additional Pakistani counterterrorism actions, especially against the Afghan Taliban who might be hiding on its territory.
Islamabad has in recent weeks said the United States should take its regional security concerns into account while formulating any strategy for Afghanistan, where a range of political, governance and security problems keep the country bogged down against ISIS threat and the Afghan Taliban insurgency.
The United States and Pakistan have both said they want stability in Afghanistan but differ on way to achieve that goal, with the U.S. relying more on military strategy while Islamabad urging a political solution.
Pakistan also wants a U.S. role towards resolution of Kashmir dispute, which for decades has held South Asian peace prospects hostage to Pakistan-India tensions.
