Pakistan No Longer The “Darling of US”; Seeks Revised Foreign Relations

US-Pakistan relations have been following a downward trajectory off-late and it appears that Pakistan is happy to wean-away from the US. Shah Mahmood Qureshi, the new Foreign Minister of Pakistan stated on Friday that Pakistan is no longer a ‘darling of the west.’ The new Defence Minister stated that the political dynamics of the world has changed and so have the facets of Pakistan’s ties with the West, led by the US. 

The foreign minister further added that Pakistan will be effectively represented in the world. He said that peace and stability are of immense importance for Pakistan and all the institutions in Pakistan are on the same page in terms of this policy which Islamabad under a new government led by Imran Khan wants to endorse.

The new Foreign Minister also stated categorically that Pakistan does not want its name on the blacklist. This reference might have come to the warnings issued by the Financial Action Task Force to Pakistan about putting Pakistan’s name on the blacklist from the greylist. The FATF had put Pakistan on the Grey list for indulging in sponsoring money laundering and harbouring terrorism.

Qureshi also informed that the Chinese Foreign Minister will visit Pakistan in the second week of September. Further, he also reiterated Imran Khan’s willingness to improve relations with India through a constructive dialogue.

Imran Khan has said earlier that if India takes a step towards improving bilateral ties then Pakistan will take two steps in the same direction. Imran Khan has said it multiple times since taking over as the Prime Minister that Pakistan does not want any confrontations from any nations and wants to be in good terms with all its neighbours.

PM Khan has also asked foreign missions aboard to play a more constructive role and improve the international image of Pakistan but he has made it very clear that he would not compromise with the national interests at any costs.

Now it remains to be seen how the strained relationship between the US and Pakistan further unfolds. Pakistan recently signed a strategic military pact with Russia which made the US infuriated. Pakistan’s narratives are pretty clear that it does not want to play a puppet in the hands of the west any longer.

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