Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi gives a strong response to US State department
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ISLAMABAD - Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has taken a strong exception to the statement of the US state department over PM Khan and Mike Pompeo telephone talk.
He has rejected the statement of the US state department.
Qureshi said on Friday that the US State Department's readout on the phone call between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Secretary of State Michael Pompeo is 'contrary to facts'.
Earlier, the Pakistan Foreign Office categorically rejected the statement by the State Department regarding contents of a phone call between Prime Minister Imran Khan and Mike Pompeo.
"Secretary Pompeo raised the importance of Pakistan taking decisive action against all terrorists operating in Pakistan and its vital role in promoting the Afghan peace process,” said the readout issued by the US authorities.
The foreign minister in his press conference at the Foreign Office said that he directed the foreign secretary to issue an immediate rebuttal over the statements issued from the Washington DC.
"Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in his conversation with the prime minister said he wanted a constructive and productive relationship. I am looking forward to his visit and engage with him for peace and stability and look and areas where both countries stand to gain," the foreign minister added. Qureshi confirmed that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will arrive in Islamabad on September 5.
"We don't share the same cordial relations with the US as we had before in the past. The US authorities have to understand Pakistan's view," he said. "I believe that the meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US Secretary of State will be very important."
The foreign minister said that Pakistan no longer remains the darling of the West in the changing international political dynamics.
"We have a longstanding bilateral relationship with the US which has had its ups and downs. This is an important bilateral relationship. In order to bring relations with the US to a past level; there is a need to understand the situation and needs in Afghanistan," he added. The foreign minister reiterated that Pakistan will have to make the US understand its genuine reservations over certain policy matters.
