ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan says the country wants a “civilised relationship” with the US.
He told the New York Times that Pakistan has always had a closer connection with the United States than India. After 9/11, Pakistan chose to join the US fight on terror, he added.
“Now, when the United States departs Afghanistan, Pakistan would like to have the civilised relationship that you have between nations, and we would like to develop our commercial ties with the United States,” Prime Minister Khan said.
When pressed to clarify, he said the relations should be similar to those between the United States and the United Kingdom or the United States and India. “An evenhanded partnership, therefore. Unfortunately, during the war on terror, the relationship was a little lopsided,” he said.
“It was an unbalanced relationship because the United States thought that by providing help to Pakistan, Pakistan was obligated to do the United States’ bidding,” Prime Minister Khan explained.
“What Pakistan did in trying to do the US’s bidding cost Pakistan a great deal of human life. Seventy thousand Pakistanis died, and the economy lost over $150 billion as a result of suicide bombings and bombings around the country.
“The United States continued to demand more from Pakistan. Pakistani rulers, sadly, attempted to give what they were not capable of. As a result, there was a level of distrust between the two countries.”
In terms of India, the prime minister stated that a regular, civilised commercial relationship between Islamabad and New Delhi would benefit both countries.