Positive, constructive approach best option for Pakistan, US: FM

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi has on Tuesday said that a positive and constructive approach is the best option for Pakistan and the United States to move forward to improve bilateral relations. Addressing a seminar on Pakistan-US relations in Islamabad on Tuesday, the minister said that the efforts to make Pakistan alone in diplomatic level are being foiled, adding that Pakistan played key role in the Afghan-peace process. The minister expressed confidence that Prime Minister Imran Khan's upcoming visit to the United States will help strengthen bilateral relations and improve mutual trust. He said Pakistan-US relations have been very important in Pakistan's foreign policy. He said there have been ups and downs in the Pakistan-US relations, but as an overall, the bilateral cooperation had been very useful for both the countries as well as the region on certain occasions. Shah Mehmood Qureshi further said broader engagement between the two countries will benefit both the countries. He also said the world's approach toward political solution of Afghan issue is endorsement of Pakistan's stance on the issue. He said convergence of Pakistan and the United States on Afghanistan has rekindled hope for peace in the war-torn country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xNEHCReV5c Earlier, Pakistan achieved another success at the diplomatic level as Indian media has been forced to acknowledge Pakistan’s role in the Afghan peace process. According to the Indian newspaper ‘Times of India’ – in an article published in the Indian daily titled “India elbowed out of Afghanistan peace talks”, it is emphasised that Pakistan has now firmly taken the position of influence on the table and was busy maneuvering the peace process involving US, Russia and China. The article says how India’s role in the huge development has been negligible and that India had stood on the sidelines while history was being made in the name of the Afghan peace process. India has expressed stern reservations on the isolation and has also opposed America’s call to postpone Afghan elections till the Afghan peace process come to its logical conclusion. India, who has worked tooth and nail to make itself a big-time player in the regional politics involving Afghanistan, had invested a lot of time and energy into gaining Afghanistan’s loyalties although some argued that their policies remained Kabul centric.