US should not view ties with Pak through 'Indian lens': Qureshi

Islamabad: The US should not view its ties with Pakistan from the the Indian lens or Afghan perspective, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said.

The relations between Pakistan and the US nosedived this January after President Donald Trump accused Islamabad of giving nothing to Washington but “lies and deceit” and providing “safe haven” to terrorists.  Qureshi said Pakistan’s ties with the US could not be undermined easily, the News reported.

“The relations with US are improving gradually. I have made it clear to the US authorities that Pakistan wants bilateral relations with Washington based on mutual respect and reciprocity, he said on Saturday. He also said it would be wrong to expect that all differences between the US and Pakistan could be resolved in one day, the report said.

Qureshi said regional situations evolve and requirements change, but Pakistan’s contribution for peace and stability in the region should be acknowledged. “It will not be appropriate to view our (US-Pak) relations going as far back as seven decades from the Afghan perspective or the Indian lens,” he told reporters in Multan after returning from his 10-day visit to the US.

The foreign minister said he had tried to make his American counterparts realise this. Qureshi, who had met US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and National Security Adviser John Bolton in Washington, said the Foreign Office will continue its efforts to represent Pakistan effectively on international fora. 

Responding to a question about Pakistan’s relations with neighbours, the Foreign Minister said Pakistan wants good relations with India and restoration of talks is the best option to resolve all issues including poverty, education and construction of dams.