Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday said the country looks forward to further strengthening and broadening its ties with the United States following the election of Donald Trump as president.
Addressing a weekly press briefing, spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch noted President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had congratulated the president-elect on his victory. She said the two countries were old friends and partners, adding Islamabad would continue to promote bilateral ties on the basis of mutual respect, mutual confidence and non-interference in each others’ domestic affairs.
Trump’s victory has been particularly celebrated by a section of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, which believes he is “friendlier” toward party founder Imran Khan compared to incumbent U.S. President Joe Biden. However, the party appears to have internal divisions on the matter, with some leaders hailing Trump’s return as a path to Khan’s freedom, while others maintain that the former prime minister’s release from jail must come from within.
To a question on claims that Trump would pressure Pakistan for domestic matters such as Khan’s release after assuming office in January, Baloch said this was “speculative.” To another question, she maintained that Trump—who is considered hawkish on America’s ties with China—would not have any impact on Pakistan’s longstanding relationship with China.
The spokesperson emphasized that Pak-China relations have historically been unaffected by international developments, adding a “domestic development in another country” was unlikely to alter this dynamic. She described Pakistan’s relationship with China as “all-weather”, “strategic”, and a “source of stability in our foreign policy.”
During her briefing, Baloch also announced that the prime minister would visit Saudi Arabia to participate in the second Joint Arab-Islamic Summit in Riyadh on Nov. 11. The summit, she said, would focus on addressing the ongoing Middle East crisis, with specific focus on the situation in Gaza and other occupied Palestinian territories.
She said the premier would reaffirm Pakistan’s unwavering support for the Palestinian cause. He would also stress the need for international protection for Palestinian civilians and urge for the creation of an independent Palestinian state.