US is trying to convince Pakistan that India is not a threat, says Pak defence minister | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

US is trying to convince Pakistan that India is not a threat, says Pak defence minister

Press Trust of India, Islamabad | ByPress Trust of India
Jan 16, 2018 07:30 PM IST

Pakistan accuses India of using Afghan soil for carrying out hostile activities against it, a charge India has dismissed.

The US has been trying to convince Pakistan that India was not a threat to it and Islamabad should change its strategic stance towards New Delhi, defence minister Khurram Dastagir Khan has said.

The Pakistan defence minister said the perception of India was one of the foundational divergences between Pakistan and the US.(AFP File Photo)
The Pakistan defence minister said the perception of India was one of the foundational divergences between Pakistan and the US.(AFP File Photo)

He also said that it is time for a courteous yet “ruthlessly candid dialogue” with the US “with everything on the table” to remove all misunderstandings between Islamabad and Washington.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Reading out a policy statement on the government’s foreign policy contours and the security situation in Pakistan in the National Assembly on Monday, he regretted that the US downplayed India’s aggressive posturing along the Line of Control (LoC) and Working Boundary, the Dawn reported.

The minister said the perception of India was one of the foundational divergences between Pakistan and the US.

“It’s time for a courteous yet ruthlessly candid dialogue between Pakistan and the US with everything on the table,” the defence minister said.

Khan said that Washington had been trying to convince Pakistan that India was not a threat and, therefore, Islamabad should change its strategic stance.

“But the truism remains true. Both India’s capacity and intents are today hostile towards Pakistan,” he alleged.

Pakistan accuses India of using Afghan soil for carrying out hostile activities against it, a charge India has dismissed.

Khan alleged that “India has amassed men, material and garrisons along the border with Pakistan” and said that 2017 was the deadliest year in terms of LoC violations by India and the killings of civilians.

“India today is a highly militarised and an increasingly belligerent neighbour,” he claimed, adding that the unrelentingly hostile and anti-Pakistan stance taken by the current Indian government has reduced drastically the space for any advocacy of peace.

The minister said Pakistan was being made a scapegoat as the US was not winning (the war on terror) in Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan had cleared the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Karachi and Balochistan under the Operation ‘Zarb-i-Azb’ and there were no safe havens for terrorists in the country.

He urged the US to recognise the sacrifices Pakistan and its people had made in the war on terror since 2001.

He also criticised the US for not pursuing internal reconciliation in Afghanistan, which had now become a safe haven for terrorists.

Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On