US relations with Pakistan, India “stand on their own”, State Dept

• Washington doesn’t see its ties with Pakistan and India as zero-sum.
• The pace, scope, and character of any dialogue between India and Pakistan are up to them.
• Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer to improve relations with New Delhi.

US State Department has said that Washington doesn’t see its ties with Pakistan and India as “zero-sum” despite the two countries being strategic rivals as well as key players in the regional politics in South Asia.

Even though the US wants regional stability, its relationships with Pakistan and India “stand on their own,” according to State Department Spokesperson Ned Price, during a press briefing on Monday in response to a question about Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s offer to improve relations with New Delhi.

On January 17, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif requested that his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, hold serious and sincere talks in order to resolve outstanding issues, including Kashmir.

“We’ve long called for regional stability in South Asia. That’s certainly what we want to see. We want to see it advanced. When it comes to our partnership – our partnerships with India and Pakistan, these are relationships that stand on their own. We do not see these relationships as zero-sum,” said Price.

Dialogue between India and Pakistan

The pace, scope, and character of any dialogue between India and Pakistan, according to the spokesperson, are up to those two countries.

When asked if Washington is sending someone to Pakistan for a long-term solution to the collapse of the power grids, Price said the US has “assisted Pakistani partners across any number of challenges and is prepared to do so in this case if there is something that we’re able to provide”.

However, he stated that he is unaware of any specific requests.

He was also asked if the US would open the door to talks with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and his party if he is elected prime minister, given his stance that his ouster was the result of a “US conspiracy” last April.

In response, the spokesperson stated that Washington is open to working with any elected government in Pakistan.

“Pakistan is a partner of ours; we share a number of interests. We have demonstrated our desire to see constructive relations with Pakistan over the course of successive governments. As we have said in different contexts, we judge governments by the policies they pursue. It would ultimately be a question of the type of policy that any future government of Pakistan might pursue.”

Sustainable growth via IMF reforms

Meanwhile, according to The News, US Ambassador Donald Blome stated that Pakistan requires sustainable growth based on IMF reforms because the global lender operates within a strict policy framework.

He said this while speaking to members of the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and added that the IMF and World Bank reforms will put Pakistan on a sustainable growth path.

Blome stated that the United States is looking for ways to relieve economic pressure on Pakistan. “In 2022, our bilateral trade reached $9.9 billion, with Pakistan exporting goods worth $6.8 billion.”

He stated that the US Commerce Department is looking for ways to assist Pakistan and that the country needs to transition away from imported fossil fuels and toward indigenous fuels.

“Pakistan has a lot of potential in this area. “The United States is assisting the country in realizing its potential through consultancy and investment,” he added.

Climate change, according to the US envoy, has had a negative impact on Pakistan, and a few weeks after the devastation caused by floods, numerous US officials visited the country’s affected areas.

“The US since then has committed $200 million for relief efforts and is trying to assist Pakistan in overcoming the climate impact through a planning mechanism to respond to floods. This includes putting together a resilient infrastructure,” he said.

Blome stated that the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Pakistan is a lengthy process that will take time, and that there is a backlog after the COVID-19 that is being cleared, and that things will return to normal in a few months.

He stated that Pakistan has a huge untapped tourism potential and that the US is assisting the country in preserving its cultural heritage, which attracts tourists.

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