Latest news with #Pak-US
Arab News
13-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan calls for new equilibrium in ties with US based on trust, ground realities
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal this week called for establishing a new equilibrium in ties with the United States (US) based on mutual trust, ground realities and development, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) said. Ties between Islamabad and Washington, once close allies during the Cold War era and after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, have remained strained in recent years. American officials suspected Pakistan supported the Afghan Taliban in regaining Kabul in August 2021 after 20 years of war, damaging ties with Islamabad. Pakistan denies the allegations strongly. The latest statement came from Iqbal while he met a US congressional delegation led by Jack Bergman, US representative from Michigan's first congressional district, along with other representatives Thomas Richard Suozzi, Jonathan L. Jackson and other senior US officials in Islamabad. 'In the realities of new geopolitics, there is a need to establish a new equilibrium in Pak-US relations based on ground realities, mutual trust and development-focused partnership,' APP reported Iqbal as saying on Saturday. The state media said that the meeting between the two sides focused on strengthening Pakistan-US bilateral relations, particularly in the realm of development cooperation and future collaboration across various sectors. 'Ahsan Iqbal highlighted the need to have an understanding of Pakistan's socio-economic challenges in the aftermaths of the two US-led wars in the region,' the APP said. Citing his own academic experience in the US, Iqbal acknowledged the transformative impact of American higher education in shaping global leaders and innovators. The minister called for the establishment of campuses of top-tier American universities in Pakistan, assuring his government would fully facilitate the move. The American delegation thanked Iqbal for the warm welcome accorded to them, the APP said, adding that they acknowledged Pakistan's 'immense potential' across various sectors and stressed the need to engage the private sector to unlock investment opportunities and build investor confidence. 'The delegation reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic relationship between the two countries and enhancing collaboration in key areas,' the APP said. Pakistan and Washington have recently moved closer after Islamabad aided Washington in apprehending a highly wanted Daesh operative last month. Both countries have since spoken regularly about the need to collaborate in counter-terrorism operations.
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Pakistan, US renew commitment to cooperation
Listen to article Pakistan and the United States on Saturday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the strategic relationship between the two countries and enhancing collaboration in key areas. The development came as a US Congressional Delegation (CODEL), led by Representative Jack Bergman (R-MI) and including Representatives Thomas Richard Suozzi and Jonathan L Jackson, along with other senior US officials, met with Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Ahsan Iqbal in the federal capital. The meeting focused on strengthening Pakistan-US bilateral relations, particularly in the realm of development cooperation and future collaboration across various sectors, a statement said. Welcoming the delegation, Iqbal highlighted the deep-rooted relationship between Pakistan and the US, underscoring shared values, mutual respect, and a common commitment to progress. He emphasized that Pakistan's longstanding and broad-based relationship with the UD remains a key pillar of its foreign policy. A strong partnership between both countries, he noted, contributes significantly to regional stability and global peace, especially in a volatile global environment. In the realities of new geo-politics, there is a need to establish a new equilibrium in Pak-US relations based on the ground realities, mutual trust and development focused partnership. Iqbal highlighted the need to have understanding of Pakistan's socio-economic challenges in the aftermaths of the two US led wars in the region. Pakistan has borne the brunt and burden of over 3.5 million refugees for over three decades, drug and gun running in the society and rise of extremism. The minister stressed the need to establish a new foundation in bilateral ties focused on development, especially in education, energy, climate change, infrastructure, and information technology. Drawing from his own academic experience in the US, Iqbal acknowledged the transformative impact of US higher education in shaping global leaders and innovators. He cited initiatives such as the Fulbright Scholarship Programme, the largest of its kind in the world, which has empowered thousands of Pakistani students to access world-class education and contribute meaningfully to national development. Proposing enhanced cooperation in the education sector, the minister urged the importance of "Pak-US Knowledge Corridor" and the establishment of campuses of top-tier American universities in Pakistan, assuring full facilitation by the government. He called for academic partnerships and joint programmes to develop a highly skilled human resource base, which is most critical for Pakistan's sustainable growth and future prosperity. Referring to the devastating floods of 2022, Iqbal recalled the immense economic loss of over $30 billion, which impacted nearly one-third of the country. He highlighted the importance of renewed collaboration in climate resilience and disaster preparedness. In the agricultural sector, the minister noted the success of the Green Revolution in the 1960s, made possible through US support, which helped Pakistan achieve food security by introducing high-yield wheat varieties. He called for a "Green Revolution 2.0" in the face of climate change, advocating for smart and climate resilient agriculture through technology transfer and joint ventures. With input from APP
Arab News
11-04-2025
- Business
- Arab News
‘Incredible event': Pakistan's minerals summit attracts global investors
ISLAMABAD: Major international companies from the US, Australia, South Africa and other nations have praised a global minerals summit hosted by Pakistan this week for opening up opportunities for investment in the country's vast natural reserves, estimated to be worth $6 trillion. The Pakistan Minerals Summit, aimed at attracting foreign investment in the country's mining sector, saw participation from major international companies including Canada-based Barrick Gold and government officials from the United States, Saudi Arabia, China, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan and other nations. Pakistan is home to one of the world's largest porphyry copper-gold mineral zones, while the Reko Diq mine in southwestern Balochistan province has an estimated 5.9 billion tons of ore. Barrick Gold, which owns a 50 percent stake in the Reko Diq mines, considers them one of the world's largest underdeveloped copper-gold areas, and their development is expected to have a significant impact on Pakistan's struggling economy. But despite rich reserves of salt, copper, gold and coal, Pakistan's mineral sector contributes only 3.2 percent to GDP and 0.1 percent to global exports. The country is now aiming to tap into this underutilized potential. 'This is really a great event so far for me. I'm meeting some great people, learning about the culture and the event is probably one of the best events we've been to recently,' Dave Williams, the CEO of Mudex, an Australian drilling fluids company, said in an interview to Radio Pakistan. Mudex is based in Perth, specializing in the production and supply of environmentally friendly drilling fluids for industries such as mining, civil construction, water wells and horizontal directional drilling. Founded in 2014, Mudex offers a wide range of drilling fluid products including viscosifiers, lubricants, foaming agents and lost circulation materials. 'The networking and all has been really good … Being able to understand the immensity of the work that is happening in Pakistan at the moment,' the Mudex CEO said about the minerals summit. Sohail Kiani, president of Canada's SARF, said he was pleased to see Pakistani 'finally recognizing its potential' in the minerals sector. 'Pakistan is a copper country and in the coming years, copper is going to become very important,' he said. Pakistan's copper reserves are estimated to be around 6.5 billion tons. 'The geology of this country is very conducive to taking out minerals which the world needs but obviously they've been in the ground for millions of years so we need to have a robust policy,' Kiani added. Leah Boyer Saifullah, Senior Policy Adviser for the Critical Minerals Forum in Washington DC, described the minerals summit as 'incredible.' 'I'm so glad to see Pakistan coming to the table, being part of this discussion,' she said. 'I think this is going to be incredible for the country and for Pak-US relations.' Tabassum Qadir, the CEO of Uprise Commodities Africa, said she was attending the mineral summit to explore opportunities at the Thar coal mines, located in southern Pakistan. They represent a significant source of lignite coal reserves in the country and are being developed for power generation. 'There is a gasification feasibility done in South Africa, which I want to implement in Pakistan,' Qadir said. The businesswoman's investment signals a renewed effort to harness Pakistan's Thar coal reserves through gasification technology, which converts coal into synthetic gas for industrial use. The initiative can reduce energy costs, alleviate the country's growing fuel import bill and provide a domestic alternative to costly liquefied natural gas.
Express Tribune
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Abandoned US equipment and Afghanistan's Bagram base
The writer is a retired major general and has an interest in International Relations and Political Sociology. He can be reached at tayyarinam@ and tweets @20_Inam Listen to article As per press reports, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Pakistan's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar spoke telephonically on 4th April, wherein both "agreed to resolve the issue of American weapons left behind in Afghanistan after the August 2021 [US] withdrawal". This seems a conceptual agreement between both sides, with yet to be clarified mechanism and way forward. Of late the leftover US inventory, especially the arms and ammunition, has surfaced in the Pak-US bilateral parleys, as substantial quantities of weapons and munitions, especially the sniper rifles Panther LRT and M24, are held and used by TTP in their deadly attacks against Pakistan's LEAs. In my earlier piece on the subject, 'The story of abandoned weapons and equipment in Afghanistan', published in this space on October 5, 2023, I had surmised, after thorough research involving America's SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction) and reports to the US Congress, that the US had left behind nearly $7.2 billion worth of aircraft, guns, vehicles, ammunition and specialised equipment in Afghanistan. This huge arsenal included nearly 600,000 weapons (all calibres) including 9,524 air-to-ground weapon systems and numerous night vision, surveillance and communications equipment, etc. Former US NSA Jake Sullivan acknowledged Washington's inability to account for this huge inventory, when he said, "We don't have a complete picture, obviously, of where every article of defense materiel has gone, but certainly a fair amount of it has fallen into the hands of the Taliban." A Taliban official apprised Al Jazeera about capturing more than 300,000 small arms and 26,000 heavy weapons. The US Department of Defense later acknowledged its inability to retrieve the materiel, as Washington did not recognise the IEA. Besides, America destroyed in situ some 78 aircraft, 26 helicopters; 55 ground vehicles, including 27 Humvees, 23 Turkish MRAPs and 3 light tactical all-terrain vehicles; 47 other MRAPs, 2 MRAP recovery vehicles; 4 weapons systems, including two M119 105mm Howitzer guns, rocket artillery, mortars, Phalanx guns and 6 RQ-21 Unmanned Aerial Systems and one Ground Control Station, etc. An unascertainable percentage of this arsenal went to the black market on the Iran-Afghan-Pakistan border, whereas Iran reportedly resorted to bulk purchases. A New York Times report highlighted concerns about this American equipment especially the pistols, rifles, grenades, binoculars and night-vision goggles falling to the gun dealers, Al-Qaeda, ISK, Pakistani and Central Asian militant groups, etc. TTP fighters, Baloch militants and even Kashmiri freedom fighters are better armed and equipped today, thanks to this abandoned American inventory. Although the US forces removed critical components from the abandoned equipment, IEA and other countries mined through the leftover sensitive optical and communications equipment and computer software/hardware on board certain aircraft. IEA has reportedly repaired some aerial platforms and put these to usage. The Trump Administration's desire to retrieve this huge arsenal was met with indignation by the IEA, as Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson, in a recent interview, declined to hand over this captured equipment to the US. The March 20, 2025 Kabul visit by a US delegation, led by the versatile Zalmay Khalilzad, underscores important developments. This was a transactional visit to secure the release of the US prisoner, George Glezmann, a mechanic for Delta Air Lines, after over two years in captivity. Zia Ahmad Takal, Deputy Spokesperson for IEA Ministry of Foreign Affairs, later announced on X (formerly Twitter) that the discussion also covered consular services to Afghan nationals in the US, in addition to progress on prisoner issues. Adam Boehler, the US Special Envoy for Prisoner Affairs, was in the delegation. Acting FM Muttaqi dubbed the visit "a positive development" in Kabul-Washington bilateralism and emphasized the US to have a "balanced policy." The issue of retrieval of the cited arsenal reportedly remained an important agenda point. Khalilzad perhaps wanted to convince the IEA leadership of the possibility of US financial largesse in return, for the cash-strapped Kabul. The present US policy towards IEA underscores non-recognition of the IEA; avoiding the collapse of Afghan economy and a humanitarian catastrophe; support for a credible process to establish an inclusive government; and more recently retrieval of the abandoned materiel. After leaving lock, stock and barrel consequent to Doha Accord, inked by Trump 1.0 in 2020, it is hard to fathom Trump 2.0 returning to Bagram base, as speculated in the press. Retrieval of the abandoned inventory, however, would remain pressure tactics to keep IEA in line on issues like counterterror cooperation, economy, restraining Chinese inroads in rare earth exploration and curtailing Iranian influence. The emerging policy on the retrieval of the abandoned weaponry would need a lot of deliberations and financial outlays, like the DDR (Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration) and the Stinger Buyback programmes of the yester years. However, given the tariff-driven US global policy, the Trump Administration would initially try to browbeat the IEA for the retrieval of their equipment, as financial allocations for the purpose, as of now, are seemingly hard to come by. The IEA might, in return, invoke Doha Agreement for Washington to fund Afghanistan's reconstruction, as previously agreed in the Doha Agreement. So, the road ahead seems pitted with potholes. As far as handing over of Bagram base to the US is concerned, 'Qandahar' especially (within the IEA dispensation) will never hand over any part of Afghanistan to the foreign troops, especially the US, again. Residual presence of the foreign forces, including intelligence assets, was a major sticking point for the most part during Doha parleys before 2020. Those who churn out such scandalous claims do not know the IEA, especially its mover-shaker, the Qandahari Shura, and its worldview. It is a curious mix of 'Muslim Pashtunwali/Pakhtunwali' with religion and sociology remaining inseparable. 'Muslim Pashtunwali' or 'Pakhtun/Pashtun Islam' was at work and responsible for Taliban's non-handover of Osama bin Laden during the late 1990s. They preferred to lose government and go again to the mountains, rather than losing before their 'Pashtun Islam'. This immense sociological clout was, is, and likely to remain the lifeline of IEA under Qandahar. Outlook and future would, however, be defined by a see-saw between puritanical Qandahar and pragmatist Haqqanis of Loya Paktia and is anybody's guess. There are multifarious variables at work.
Express Tribune
29-03-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
'Shun viewing Pakistan via regional lens'
Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, highlighting the strategic significance of Pakistan, has urged the United States to view the country independently rather than through any foreign or regional lens. The special assistant, addressing a prominent American think-tank, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, on Thursday during his US visit also emphasised the need for deeper Pak-US economic relations and enhanced US investment. Fatemi is visiting London, New York and Washington, where he has held bilateral meetings. He met the Secretary General of the Commonwealth in London and held important meetings with key leaders of the US Congress in the United States. He pointed out that terrorist sanctuaries in Afghanistan had been fanning terrorism in Pakistan. He reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to regional peace, underscoring the challenges posed by the neighbouring countries. SAPM Fatemi apprised the gathering of the advantages of Pakistan-China bilateral economic cooperation, particularly CPEC for the country and the region. Highlighting the trade opportunities in Pakistan, he called for increased US investment in Pakistan's textile industry, infrastructure, and human capital development. He said that Pakistan was rich with immense mineral wealth and that the US companies should capitalise on the available opportunities, besides underlining the Special Investment Facilitation Council's crucial role in facilitating the business community. The special assistant also spoke about Pakistan's counterterrorism efforts, border control measures, and initiatives to ensure a stable environment for investors and reaffirmed that Pakistan remained a promising and profitable destination for foreign investment. Fatemi also urged the US to support Pakistan in education, healthcare, and economic development to transform bilateral cooperation into a long-term partnership for the mutual benefit of the two nations. Media briefing Fatemi said that he was "very satisfied" over his talks in Washington with key US officials and Congressional leaders in what he described as the first high-level contact with the Trump administration. "I had very good response both from the State Department and at Capitol Hill the meetings were productive," he told UN correspondents at a news briefing at the Pakistan Mission to the UN on Thursday. Pakistan's Ambassador-designate to the UN, Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, was also present.
