Unfortunate that White House remains indifferent to Pakistan: Qureshi

Agencies | Islamabad

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Angered by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan not receiving a phone call from United States President Joe Biden, foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in a letter to his country’s ambassador in Washington said that the embassy failed to establish “meaningful contact” between the two countries.

In the letter, dated September 27, 2021, Qureshi said that despite Pakistan playing a key role in Afghanistan, Washington has been indifferent towards Islamabad.

Qureshi further directed Pakistani ambassador Asad Majeed Khan to ensure that “enough diplomatic steps are taken to guarantee the strategic relevance of Pakistan in all diplomatic forums”.

‘Unable to see meaningful reciprocity’

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan expresses its concern over the inability of the Pakistan Embassy, Washington in creating an environment to facilitate diplomatic communication between the office of the PM of Pakistan and the President of the USA,” the letter said.

Qureshi said that the PM’s office has taken a strong view of the fact that despite all efforts by Pakistan to establish a healthy line of communication between the White House, it is unable to see meaningful reciprocity.

‘Portrays the diplomatic overtures of Pakistan in a poor light’

This portrays the diplomatic overtures of Pakistan in a poor light which unfortunately remains at the mercy of the immature understanding of the White House staff advising the US President, he wrote. 

“You are thus expected to take adequate measures in ensuring that enough diplomatic steps are undertaken to guarantee the strategic relevance of Pakistan in all diplomatic forums,” the foreign minister said. 

This development comes a week after twenty-two Republican senators introduced ‘Afghanistan Counterterrorism, Oversight and Accountability Act’ legislation in the US Senate seeking a report from the Secretary of State Antony Blinken about his assessment of Pakistan’s role in supporting the Taliban from 2001-2020 and backing the Taliban offensive which led to the fall of the US-backed Afghan government.

Reacting to this, Islamabad termed the move as “unwarranted” and counterproductive”.