ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Farhatullah Babar has said relations between Pakistan and the US have traditionally been transactional in nature.
He said this while commenting on US President Donald Trump’s policy towards Afghanistan and South Asia at a seminar organised by Area Study Centre for Africa, North and South America (ASC), Quaid-i-Azam University here.
Senators Farhatullah Babar, Afrasiab Khattak, Khalid Mahmood and Dr Shaheen Akhtar, at the seminar explored different dimensions of Trump’s policy towards Afghanistan and South Asia, highlighted its impacts and consequences in the light of complex regional geo-strategic environment and suggested some policy recommendations in order to cope with the emerging challenges posed by the new US foreign policy objectives.
While speaking on the occasion Farhatullah Babar said that the strategic relations between the US and India existed since long; however, President Clinton’s tenure brought a noticeable strategic shift in the US policy towards South Asia, said a press release.
Trump policy
The senator argued that Trump’s policy was a continuation of that strategic shift. He acclaimed the response by the government of Pakistan while referring to the statement issued by the defence and interior ministers that “we have to put our own house in order”.
He also appreciated the government’s efforts to sensitise the international community about the sacrifices and endeavours of Pakistan against terrorism; however, he maintained that it was more pertinent to sensitise institutions within Pakistan.
He suggested a revisit of Pakistan’s policy towards Afghanistan and banned militant groups.
He said that there should be no distinction among different groups of Taliban; they should all be dealt the same way.
