US vows to strengthen ties with Pakistan

Chargé d'Affaires Baker tells PM Shehbaz Washington to work with Islamabad to pursue 'common objectives'

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ISLAMABAD:

The Trump administration, through its acting ambassador in Islamabad, has conveyed to Pakistan that the US would work with it in "pursuit of common objectives" to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

The message was delivered to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif by US Chargé d'Affaires Natalie Baker, who met him on Tuesday. This was the first official contact between the two sides since President Donald Trump took charge of the White House a month ago.

While recalling the decades-long history of close cooperation between the two countries, according to an official handout issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan's strong desire to work closely with the Trump administration to further strengthen bilateral ties.

The prime minister emphasised the need to enhance trade, as well as cooperation in the areas of information technology (IT), agriculture, health, education, and energy, among other areas of mutual interest.

He also stressed the need for both the countries to continue their close cooperation in the counter-terrorism domain, in particular, to deal with the threat posed by Daesh and Fitna Al Khawaraj – a term used for terrorists belonging to the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

The US diplomat thanked the prime minister for receiving her and said that the new administration would work with Pakistan in pursuit of common objectives to strengthen the bilateral relationship, according to the official statement.

Pakistan, which was once known as the "most-allied" ally of the US, is no longer a priority for the US administration. While President Trump already hosted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi within days of his inauguration, he has yet to even speak to the Pakistani prime minister.

But Tuesday's visit of the US diplomat suggested that something might be cooking, as otherwise, the prime minister rarely received the head of diplomatic mission.

Although the Pakistani side expressed its desire to work closely with the Trump administration, Islamabad is wary of certain policies of the new US government. It is particularly concerned over the suspension of Afghan refugee settlement programme since thousands of such Afghans are struck in Pakistan.

As part of the understanding reached with the previous Biden administration, Pakistan had agreed to allow thousands of Afghans, who worked for the US during its campaign in Afghanistan, to stay in the country before their resettlement to the US.

However, the process to transfer such Afghans to the US has remained excruciatingly slow. The Biden administration had agreed to complete the process of settlement by September 2025. But President Trump halted the process at least for 90 days through an executive order.

Pakistan is worried that at least 25,000 Afghans, who were supposed to be taken to the US might stay in the country permanently. Islamabad wants the process to be expedited. The statement issued by the Prime Minister Office did not suggest if the issue came up for discussions. But sources said it was part of the talking points.