Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday offered to play the role of the mediator in reducing tensions between China and the United States besides also affirming that Pakistan’s soil would not be allowed to be used by anyone with respect to Afghanistan.

While speaking on the Pakistan-US relationship with respect to Afghanistan, the information minister said that the country would maintain trade ties on their own terms with the USA, stating that Prime Minister Imran Khan has clarified the course of relations with the super power in his recent interview.

“The Prime minister has clearly defined that the US will not be allowed to use Pakistani soil to conduct military operations in Afghanistan,” Chaudhry said adding that 90 percent fencing on the Afghan border has been completed.

While sharing Pakistan’s role for a peaceful solution in Afghanistan, he said they persuaded the Afghan Taliban to sit on the table with the United States as stability in the neighbouring country is in the best interests of Pakistan.

While offering to play a role in reducing tensions between the US and China, the information minister said that global relationships would improve due to the improvement in the relationship between both the super powers.

He further said that the prime minister has also expressed hope for the improvement of the relationship with India.

It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Imran Khan says Pakistan wants “a civilized relationship” with the United States (US).

In an interview with the New York Times, he said Pakistan has always had a closer relationship with the US than India. Pakistan opted to join the US war on terror after 9/11, he added.