Pakistan plans for 'regional recalibration' of foreign policy: Khurram Dastgir

Dastgir says Pakistan, US still share many interests but in Washington 'focus has been on areas of divergence'

Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir in an interview said Pakistan is planning a 'regional recalibration' of its foreign policy after the suspension of the US security assistance.

In an interview with Financial Times, he said Islamabad is now deepening its relationship with Russia and China as well as Europe for military supplies, Radio Pakistan reported.

"We have already bought some Russian helicopters in the past three years," he said. "This is what we call a regional recalibration of Pakistan’s foreign and security policy. It’s because of the unfortunate choice the United States continues to make," Dastgir further stated.



“It is unfortunate that we are even discussing the numbers [the amount of aid] while Afghanistan slowly spirals out of the American and Afghan control.”

The federal minister also said that Pakistan and US still shared many interests but in Washington “lately, the focus has been on areas of divergence”.

“The fact that we have recalibrated our way towards better relations with Russia, deepening our relationship with China, is a response to what the Americans have been doing. And they have their own reasons. They want to use India, in our view, to contain China,” Dastgir conclusively stated.