ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua has said that thecountry will continue to have engagement, as far as possible, with the USbecause America is not only a global power but also has its presence in theregion, and “for us its almost our neighbour”.

Delivering a lecture on ‘Pakistan’s Foreign Policy Issues’ at the Instituteof Business Administration (IBA) in Karachi on Saturday, she said, “We needto continue to have a measured response to all the rhetoric coming out ofthe US,” reports Dawn news.

In reply to a question, Janjua said US President Donald Trump`s tweet onJanuary 1 could be well thought out or he was just being his impulsiveself, or it could be a result of any other reason such as the fact that theUS was not doing well in Afghanistan.

“The tweet that came on January 1 was a tweet that came for many reasons.We are trying to analyse why that tweet came. It could have been somebriefing material given to him in the morning… What triggered it?”

Answering a question on Pakistan being put by the US on watchlist forviolation of religious freedom, Janjua said it had political reasonsbecause right next door (in India) mob lynching of Muslims and minoritiestook place but no one took notice of it.