KARACHI – Pakistan will continue to have engagement “as far as possible”with the US despite all the “rhetoric” coming out of America, ForeignSecretary Pakistan will continue to have engagement “as far as possible”with the US despite all the “rhetoric” coming out of America, ForeignSecretary Tehmina Janjua has said.

“We need to continue to have a measured response to all the rhetoric comingout of the US,” Ms Janjua said, delivering a lecture on ‘Pakistan’s ForeignPolicy Issues’ at the Institute of Business Administration in Karachiyesterday.

“As far as possible Pakistan wants to engage with the US because it is notonly a global power but also has its presence in the region, and for usit’s almost our neighbour,” she was quoted as saying by the Dawn.

In reply to a question, the foreign secretary said President Trump’s tweeton January 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 is not doing well in Afghanistan.

She said Trump’s tweet came for “many reasons” and Pakistan is trying toanalyse why the president’s scathing remarks came. “It could have been somebriefing material given to him in the morning…What triggered it? Becausewe must not forget that the meetings we had with the Americans before thatwere positive, yet on January 1 the New Year’s gift to the world were twotweets: there was one about Pakistan and the other about Iran.

“Why was the president of the US at four o’clock in the morning thinkingabout Pakistan and Iran? In Iran, there was something happening there, butPakistan, a question mark,” she was quoted as saying by the daily.

Donald Trump in a New Year’s Day tweet accused Pakistan of giving nothingto the US but “lies and deceit” and providing “safe haven” to terrorists inreturn for $33 billion aid over the last 15 years.

The Trump administration has suspended about $2 billion in security aid toPakistan for failing to clamp down on the Afghan Taliban and the HaqqaniNetwork terror groups and dismantle their safe havens.

She said Pakistan’s concerns were highlighted in the cabinet’s nationalsecurity committee. “They were security provider role given to India in ourregion; border management issues; the US National Security Strategy, 2017,which wasn’t positive,” she said.

The foreign secretary said one of the reasons for the situation was therise of China as an economic and military power perceived as the challengerto the US dominance.

She said “India-US nexus” exists in Afghanistan.