Trump vows swift end to Pak-Afghan conflict

Rubio says ties with Pakistan not at India's expense

ISLAMABAD:

US President Donald Trump vowed on Sunday to "get the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan resolved very quickly," expressing his confidence that peace could be restored to the region very soon.

Speaking to reporters during his visit to Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN Summit, Trump described Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir as "great people".

Trump said the situation between the two neighbouring countries was among the few remaining conflicts his administration was determined to resolve swiftly. He noted that his government had already "ended eight wars in eight months," adding that only one — the Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict — remained to be settled.

"But I'll get that solved very quickly," Trump said. "I know them both. The Pakistan, the field marshal and the prime minister are great people. And I have no doubt we're going to get that done quickly."

He called it a moral duty if it meant saving lives. "If I can take time and save millions of lives, that's really a great thing. I can't think of anything better to do," he said, stressing that no other president had matched his record of resolving wars.

Trump's remarks came amid renewed border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. A first round of peace talks between the two sides in Doha last weekend resulted in a temporary ceasefire.

Currently, delegations from both countries are holding further discussions in Istanbul to consolidate the truce. The US has been quietly watching the mediation process, seeking to prevent an escalation that could destabilise the region further.

Meanwhile, in Washington, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reaffirmed Washington's intention to strengthen its strategic relationship with Pakistan as part of a broader, pragmatic foreign policy approach.

"We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan, and that's our job — to find as many countries as we can work with on things of common interest," Rubio said at a press briefing.

Responding to questions about potential Indian concerns over the renewed outreach to Islamabad, Rubio emphasised that the US engagement with Pakistan was not at the expense of its "deep, historic and important" ties with India.

He said Washington's re-engagement with Islamabad reflected a balanced approach aimed at cooperation in counterterrorism, trade, and defence, while also acknowledging India's pivotal regional role.

The coordinated remarks by President Trump and Secretary Rubio underline Washington's dual-track strategy — pushing for swift conflict resolution in South Asia while expanding diplomatic and strategic ties with regional players.

(With Input from News Desk)