The Foreign Office on Thursday hoped the “positive trajectory” of Pak-U.S. ties will continue under the new administration of President Donald Trump.
In a weekly press briefing, spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan stressed that Pak-U.S. ties remain very important to Islamabad. “Pakistan-U.S. have decades old, very long-standing relations, which we characterize as very important, very critical and very dense also,” he said. “They cover multiple areas, and we look forward to continuing the positive trajectory of our relations and remain engaged with the new administration,” he added.
To questions on Trump’s seeming tilt toward India, Khan said Pakistan did not interfere in the internal affairs of any other state much as it did not accept any interference in its own affairs. “This is part of the principles on which interstate relations are shaped,” he said.
The Foreign Office also sought to negate the impression that Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who attended Trump’s inauguration, was representing Pakistan in an official capacity. “The Government of Pakistan was officially represented by our ambassador, as in past oath taking ceremonies,” he said, stressing that Naqvi’s visit was not processed through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
To a question on Naqvi’s attendance of an event hosted by the New Federal State of China—which calls for the overthrow of China’s Communist Party—Khan maintained that a core principle of Pakistan’s foreign policy was support of One China. “There’s One China, and this principle enjoys unwavering support of Pakistan. There is no question of any ambiguity about it. It’s a very clear and emphatic position,” he emphasized.
Trump and Afghanistan
Shortly after assuming office, Trump signed an executive order suspending a resettlement program for Afghan refugees who had worked with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The spokesperson noted that Pakistan’s arrangement with the United States remained in place, noting Washington had committed to take Afghans who are in Pakistan for resettlement in the U.S. by September 2025.
“The arrangements are in place. We have, so far officially, not received any further information on this issue,” he said, adding that an “excruciatingly slow” process for third country resettlement was ongoing with several countries. “What we would want is it to accelerate and to move faster. This is what we emphasize. We are in touch with other friendly governments which want to take Afghans for resettlement to their countries,” he said.
In a speech, Trump also called for the return of all weapons abandoned by the U.S. in Afghanistan during its hasty withdrawal in August 2021. The Taliban has rejected this, stating the U.S. should provide them new weaponry to help them fight the Islamic State-Khorasan. Stressing that this was an issue between Afghanistan and the U.S., Khan said Afghan authorities had a responsibility to ensure that “under no circumstances” such weapons reach terrorist groups. “This remains an important concern for the regional countries, and we continue to call for more attention to this aspect,” he stressed.
In his previous tenure as U.S. president, Trump had offered to play a mediator role on Kashmir between Pakistan and India. To a question on whether Pakistan would accept a similar offer from the current administration, the Foreign Office spokesperson said Islamabad’s position on the Kashmir issue remained very clear.
“Whoever tries to resolve this issue we would be ready to cooperate. We welcome any efforts for to its resolution,” he said. “Peace, and progress in the region is only possible by resolving this issue according to the will of Kashmiri people and the resolutions of United Nations Security Council,” he added.
Baseless Propaganda
The spokesperson also addressed a recent statement of the Afghan Ministry of Interior alleging Pakistan was hosting Islamic State terror camps and facilitating their training in Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “Frankly, we completely reject these allegations,” said Khan. “They are not grounded in reality. It’s just some kind of a weird propaganda,” he added.
Recalling that Pakistan continued to suffer from terrorism, the spokesperson noted that Islamabad was “seriously concerned” about the sanctuaries enjoyed by TTP in Afghanistan. “It remains a source of support, logistics and everything the way TTP is operating. It couldn’t do without the sanctuaries it’s enjoying in Afghanistan,” he said. Pakistan, he maintained, continued to impress upon Afghan authorities the need to address this concern so bilateral ties could achieve their full potential.