ISLAMABAD – Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on NationalSecurity Division and Strategic Policy Planning, Dr Moeed Yusuf said thegovernment wanted to pursue a bilateral relationship with the US nothyphenated or clouded by US interests in other regional countries ratherbased on mutual understanding.
The SAPM addressed a gathering of US policy makers at the Washington basedthink tank Wilson Center titled “US-Pakistan Relations in the Biden Era” aday after the Biden inauguration, said a statement.
“In the past, Pakistan was unfortunately seen by Afghanistan prism,” headded, emphasizing that the world had undergone immense transformation inthe past four years and the new administration should look beyond Obama-eraconversation to build a truly bilateral relationship with Pakistan.
He told the participants that now you were dealing with a differentPakistan; a Pakistan which was self-confident and whose formal vision wassquarely based on economic security paradigm.
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“Pakistan is talking about becoming a geo-economic melting pot that isready to consolidate global positive interest in our territory. We aretalking about providing the world with economic-bases, not military-bases,”he said.
Dr. Moeed Yusuf while elaborating Pakistan’s vision said: “Our focus isconnectivity and China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is an obviousexample of it. This is the reason we desire peace and stability inAfghanistan for westward connectivity. Furthermore, we are looking fordevelopment partnerships.”
He noted that all Western multinational companies in Pakistan earnedprofits well above their global average, demonstrating that Pakistanremained a lucrative market for foreign companies.
“How about having US reprocessing zones? Expanding the reconstructionopportunity zones (ROZs)? Having US-China co-investments in regionalconnectivity?”“Pakistan of today is very different. Terrorism in Pakistan is negligible,we have turned the corner,” the SAPM stated.
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While delving into regional peace, Dr. Moeed Yusuf said that we weredealing with a different India; an India which was intolerant, had seriousinternal tensions, had human rights concerns and was taking unilateraldecision, including in IIOJK. India is destabilizing the region andbecoming a liability on anyone dealing with it, including the US, he said.
SAPM Dr. Moeed said that “we wish to achieve a peaceful region whereinternational obligations are met by all countries”.
He also emphasized that the Biden administration and Pakistan could workclosely on important global challenges such as climate change – a priorityarea for both the Biden administration and Prime Minister Imran Khan’sgovernment.
He also emphasized that there were opportunities for Pakistan to work withthe US in regional diplomacy in Afghanistan, the Middle East and elsewhereto decrease global tensions and restore the multilateral system.