Describing the recent high-level engagement between Pakistani and American officials as useful toward rebuilding trust, Ambassador Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhry has expressed the hope for re-invigoration of the bilateral relationship.
Speaking at the World Affairs Council, Connecticut at Mark Twain House, Hartford, the diplomat said despite the current challenges, he is hopeful of a “rebound” in bilateral ties.
The two countries have expressed differences on the way to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan, which is critical to regional stability. The U.S. alleges that the Afghan Taliban have sanctuaries in Pakistan while Islamabad says it is a victim of cross-border terrorism from the Afghan soil. Pakistan is also averse to any expanded Indian role in Afghanistan, saying New Delhi fuels militancy in Balochistan from across the porous Afghan border.
In his remarks in Connecticut, Ambassador Chaudhry said Pakistan remains committed to working with the United States to bring ties back on track.
“Recent exchange of visits by senior officials and at the Foreign Minister and Secretary of State level were useful efforts to rebuild trust in this important bilateral relationship,” Chaudhry said, according to a Pakistani embassy statement.
The diplomat listed a number of reasons for his optimism.
The two countries, he said, have been partners for seven decades with a broad-based relationship encompassing a wide range of areas of cooperation. Both countries had defeated common enemies in Afghanistan in the 1980s and eliminated al Qaeda during the last decade and a half.
Peace in Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s own interest, the Ambassador remarked.
He also noted the important role of Pakistani-Americans.
The one million strong Pakistani-American diaspora serves as a bridge between the two countries, Ambassador Chaudhry added.
