Daily Times

Sir: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has reiterated that Pakistan is sincerely committed for making efforts for peace and stability in war-torn Afghanistan and also pointedly mentioned appreciable success in the ongoing war against terrorism.

The Prime Minister, who is in US on a private visit on leave, had an an unscheduled  one on one meeting with US  Vice-President Michael Pence in Washington the other day. The meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes and had taken place at Pakistan request focused on efforts for finding a negotiated  settlement  of the ongoing conflict  in Afghanistan.

Reports reaching here said PM Abbasi has assured the US Vice-President  that no other country  wants a peaceful  Afghanistan  more than neighbouring Pakistan as it will  be direct beneficiary  of the peace and stability there .

It is good to note that this was continuation of holding of talks between the two leaders as PM Abbasi and US Vice-Resident Pence had earlier met  on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session in New York in 2017 and after that have also remained engaged with each other and sustaining forward the ties between the two countries, supposedly decades old allies,  which somehow had been  on a downward trajectory after the announcement of of President Trump announced his policy  for South Asia and Afghanistan in August 2017 and hurling accusations on Pakistan of doing nothing  to eliminate terrorists.

Such a high level contacts between the leaders of two countries are keeping the relations between Washington and Islamabad going on though still bitter and not so ideal and pleasant one as demand for doing more and more keeps pouring in from American leadership and Pakistan’s achievements in effectively combating terrorism, militancy and extremism and sacrifices being so offered are not duly being acknowledged which is quite regrettable, please. Thanks.

ASIM MUNIR

Rawalpindi

Published in Daily Times, March 21^st 2018.