Pakistan paid heavy price for US success against Soviet Union: Tariq Fatemi

WASHINGTON (92 News) – Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Tariq Fatemi has on Wednesday said that Pakistan has paid a heavy price for the success of US against the Soviet Union in the region. In an interview with a US newspaper "the Washington Times", he said that while taking any decision regarding the region, the US should also give importance to Pakistan’s interests, adding that it is in the interest of both countries. The special assistant said that Pakistan has not only rendered sacrifices in war against terror but also paid a heavy price in terms of the successes of the United States in the region, including Islamabad’s backing of the US mission to push the Soviet Union from Afghanistan in the 1980s and the post 9/11 era, he said. Fatemi said: “We will work closely with the administration,” Tariq Fatemi, a top adviser to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.” “We believe Trump’s business background and strong interest in economic ties match the vision and policies” of Sharif. After years of tension and inconsistency in bilateral ties, “there is an element of normalcy and predictability within the relationship” between Washington and Islamabad since Sharif came to power three years ago, Fatemi said. The volatility that plagued US-Pakistani relations under previous regimes in Pakistan has subsided, he said. To successfully deal with the serious challenges facing Pakistan and the US in South Asia, the Trump administration must ensure that the relationship “stay on an even keel and continue to progress gradually,” he added. Tariq Fatemi rejected reports that Pakistan's emerging military relationship with Russia is in response to India's closer military ties with Washington. On counter-terrorism, operations, he said Donald Trump's views align with those of Pakistan's leadership.