Pakistan tells US to keep India away from Pak-US bilateral ties
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ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi says Pakistan has diversified sources for its military and other requirements and is not solely dependent on the United States.
In an interview with Arab News, he said besides Chinese and European systems, Pakistan has recently inducted Russian attack helicopters.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said there was concern in Pakistan over US President Donald Trump's new South Asia policy.
The Prime Minister said he had candid discussions with the US Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of UN General Assembly session. He said whatever concerns they have, we have shown our willingness to address them.
The Prime Minister categorically stated that Pakistan does not provide any sanctuaries to anybody. He said we have a common objective of destroying terror and bringing peace to Afghanistan.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi pointed out that much of the area in Afghanistan bordering Pakistan is controlled by the Taliban.
He said the people we are fighting in Pakistan today have sanctuaries in Afghanistan. Their leadership and logistic bases are there, planning is done there and they regularly cross the border and attack our installations.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan does not believe that injecting India into the Pakistan-US relationship will help resolve anything, especially in Afghanistan where we don't see any role for New Delhi.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan wants the world to recognise its efforts in fighting the world's war on terror.
He said nobody has fought a bigger war against terror than we have with our own resources. He said besides precious human lives, Pakistan has suffered economic losses of over 120 billion dollars in war on terror.
The Prime Minister said Pakistan will not devalue its rupee or seek help from the International Monetary Fund to address its fiscal challenges.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said Pakistan and its economy were in an expansion phase and were placing their hopes for the future on Chinese investment-particularly China Pakistan Economic Corridor.
He rejected suggestions that large investments would give China undue influence in Pakistan. He said it is a two-way relationship.