New PM sends positive signals to China, US

WASHINGTON/ ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday reiterated the need for cooperation with the United States and India while assuring Beijing of farther deepening of relations.

“ The new government wishes to constructively and appreciatively engage with the US to promote participated pretensions of peace, security, and development in the region,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in response to a White House statement on Mr. Sharif taking over as the new high minister.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki had earlier said that a popular Pakistan was critical to US interests.

Ties between Islamabad and Washington touched a new low after former high minister Imran Khan indicted the US of conspiring to dislodge his government. He grounded his allegation on a political string in which it was reportedly said that a State Department functionary had advised of consequences for bilateral ties if the no-confidence stir failed.

Washington has denied the allegation.

Mending walls with the US would be one of the top foreign policy precedences for the new government.

Mr. Sharif, while speaking in the National Assembly after his election, noted “ confusion” in ties and said that it didn’t mean an end to the major relationship.

The same was repeated in the PM Office statement, in which ate US reaffirmation of long-standing ties with Pakistan and said that the new government looked forward to heightening this “ important relationship” on the principles of equivalency, collective interest, and collective benefit.

Dispatches from other leaders

Meanwhile, in response to a congratulatory tweet by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Sharif called for securing peace and fastening on socio-profitable development of the people.

“ Pakistan solicitations peaceful & collaborative ties with India. Peaceful agreement of outstanding controversies, including Jammu & Kashmir, is necessary,” he further said.

Talking to the Charge d’ Affaires of People’s Republic of China, Ms Pang Chunxue, who called on him, PM Sharif affirmed his government’s commitment to farther heightening the palm- palm profitable collaborative cooperation between the two countries.

He expressed his government’s resoluteness to speed up high quality development of CPEC systems and make it a symbol of China-Pakistan fellowship and close cooperation. He, also, underscored the significance of enhanced investment from China in industrialization, husbandry, and digital technologies.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also saluted Mr Sharif. According to a statement by Russia’s delegacy in Pakistan, hoped that the new government will “ contribute to farther development of the Pakistan-Russia cooperation and mate commerce on the Afghan agreement as well as fighting transnational terrorism.”

US approach

At the Monday autumn news briefing in Washington, a intelligencer asked White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki what was the administration’s response to the new developments in Pakistan. “ Does President Biden plan to speak with the country’s new high minister?”

Responding to the first part of the question, Ms Psaki said the United States “ support (s) the peaceful upholding of indigenous popular principles. We do n’t support one political party over another, and we clearly support the principles of rule of law and equal justice under the law.”

Recalling that the United States and Pakistan were old abettors, she said “ We value our long standing cooperation with Pakistan, and have always viewed a prosperous and popular Pakistan as critical to US interests. That remains unchanged, anyhow of who leadership is.”

Responding to the question about President Biden calling the new high minister, she said she didn’t “ have anything to prognosticate at this point in time. Obviously, we stay in close touch with them at a range of situations.”

A third intelligencer tried a different approach and asked to get further information from the White House Press Secretary on Mr Biden’s call. “ What arrangements does the administration have to communicate him (Mr Sharif) and what’s moving forward on that?” he asked.

“ I do n’t have a vaticination of a call at this point in time. Obviously, those are assessments made day by day, especially after new leaders are tagged,” Ms Psaki said.

“ We’ve a long, strong, and abiding relationship with Pakistan, an important security relationship, and that will continue under new leaders,” she added.