Pakistan envoy urges US to follow balanced approach in South Asia

In a recent address at the World Affairs Council of Philadelphia, Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States, Masood Khan, highlighted concerns over the strategic imbalance in South Asia due to the United States' perceived tilt towards India. Khan urged the Biden administration to adopt a more balanced approach to mitigate risks associated with this imbalance.

Khan emphasized the need for the full restoration of Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Pakistan, pointing out their importance in combating regional terrorist threats. He provided an in-depth perspective on Pak-US relations, the war on terror, the recalibration of their relationship post-US withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the ongoing issues of regional stability, particularly in the context of Pakistan-India relations.

Highlighting the economic potential, Khan invited US companies to invest in Pakistan, underscoring the large market of 240 million consumers. He suggested that Pakistan could serve as an economic bridge between the US and China, referencing the historic role Pakistan played in facilitating the rapprochement between the two countries in the 1970s.

Khan assured that Pakistan's strong ties with China do not come at the expense of its relationship with the US. He reflected on the collaborative successes in the war on terror, noting the significant progress made in dismantling terrorist organizations like al-Qaida and the enhanced global awareness of the asymmetric threat of terrorism.

The ambassador also touched on the recalibrated relationship between Pakistan and the US, emphasizing continued cooperation in counter-terrorism, promoting regional stability, and preventing nuclear instability. He highlighted the significant increase in Pakistani students studying in the US, from 7,000 in 2022 to over 10,000, indicating a strengthening of educational ties between the two nations.