Ministerial level Pak-US strategic dialogue, 6th round to be held today

He was talking to media along with US Secretary of State John Kerry after sixth round of ministerial level Pakistan-US strategic dialogue in Washington on Monday.

The advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs hoped that Washington will continue to play its role towards supporting Pakistan in achieving its priorities.

In order to assist Islamabad in its counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations, the U.S. government recently confirmed its intentions to sell eight F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan, despite strong opposition from the Indian government and U.S. Congress.

Neighboring India opposes the sale, which has drawn criticism from some US lawmakers. “So far, more than one billion rupees worth of accounts have been frozen by the State Bank of Pakistan belonging to the terrorist and extremist organizations”. Responding to a question at a regular briefing about cooperation between the two countries, especially in dealing with terrorist incidents, spokesman Mark Toner said that the United States had been very vocal in the past in encouraging greater cooperation between India and Pakistan. He said groups like the Haqqani (hah-KAH’-nee) network and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LAHSH’-kar ee TOY’-buh) seek to undermine Pakistan’s relations with its neighbors.

Last week, testifying before a Congressional committee, Kerry strongly defended the decision and argued these fighter jets are a critical part of the Pakistan’s fight against terrorists.

“We are grateful to you Secretary Kerry for your recent positive testimony on the Hill”, Aziz said.

As the threat of Islamic extremism has grown in Pakistan, so has global concern grown about the security of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.

Aziz said that a politically and economically stable Pakistan was in United States favour.

Experts say Pakistan’s nuclear stockpile is growing fast, and it is developing tactical nuclear weapons to deter rival India’s larger conventional forces.

“We are moving in the other direction, and I think it’s important for Pakistan to really process that reality and put that front and center in its policy”, Kerry said.