US, Pakistan reiterate resolve to restore bilateral ties

Ali Jahangir discusses regional security in South Asia with US Secretary of State James Mattis

Pakistan and United States reiterated their resolve on Tuesday to restore their bilateral relationship.

This was noted during a meeting between Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States Ali Jahangir and US Secretary of State James Mattis at Pentagon in Washington.

Jahangir and Mattis discussed matters related to restoration of bilateral ties between the two countries, while regional security in South Asia also came up during the course of the meeting.



The meeting took place in the aftermath of the July 25 elections which saw Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) emerge victorious.

The US has however expressed its reservations about constraints on media freedom ahead of the July 25 polls, it maintained that development of strong democratic and civil institutions were essential to Pakistan’s long-term growth.

#SecDef Mattis welcomed #Pakistan Ambassador Ali Jehangir Siddiqui to the #Pentagon today. @PakEmbassyDC pic.twitter.com/hH2c84c4RV

— Jonathan Hoffman (@ChiefPentSpox45) July 30, 2018

Earlier, US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert stated that the election campaign in Pakistan was smeared by restrictions put in the way of free speech.



However, she added that “The US will continue to encourage broadening of opportunities for political participation for all Pakistanis, and for the further strengthening of legitimate, democratic institutions.”

Nauert also highlighted that the US will look for opportunities to work with the new government to advance goals of security, stability, and prosperity in South Asia.