ISLAMABAD, Oct 16(ABC): Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s narrative on the conspiracy has fizzled out in thin air with US President Joe Biden’s statement on Pakistan.
United States President Joe Biden referred to Pakistan as “one of the most dangerous countries” and alleged that Islamabad’s nuclear programme lacks cohesion.
“Did anybody think we would be in a situation where China is trying to figure out its role relative to Russia and relative to India and relative to Pakistan?” President Biden said, addressing the democratic congressional campaign committee reception on Saturday.
Asif said that Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s reaction to the statement of the US President is cautious. However, Pakistan will reevaluate its position after a few days, if necessary, he added.
Given the sort of serious circumstances facing Pakistan, the country cannot afford to adopt belligerence, he said. However, at the same time, the dignity of Pakistan should be maintained, he maintained.
Asif also mentioned that he tweeted after the US president gave the statement, which he termed “unfortunate”.
Pakistan respects and values its partnership and relations with the US, he said, adding Islamabad has stood by the US and its allies for decades. However, they seem to have forgotten the history, he said.
The defence minister said Pakistan has adopted a principled position over the Ukraine war, which the US may have not liked. “They will like us if we follow their policy blind-folded,” he asserted.
Pakistan’s nuclear capability is the biggest deterrent and a guarantee of peace and security in the region, he said, calling on the US president to “bring about cohesion in his approach” towards Pakistan.
Pakistan and the US should take their bilateral relations forward based on mutual respect and cooperation but the utterances like the one from Biden don’t contribute to strengthening of the ties, he remarked.
“I don’t believe that just one statement [from the US president] has upset the bilateral ties between the two countries, which have improved over the past few months and the two countries should keep the cohesion intact,” he said.
“On a lighter note, I would like to say that the narrative which Imran Khan weaved around the US conspiracy has once and for all ended,” he said.
The government is not amending the law governing the army chief’s extension or reappointment, Asif said in response to a question.
“To my knowledge, the government has no plans to introduce such an amendment,” he said.
Pakistan most dangerous country: Biden
On October 15, President Biden alleged that Pakistan’s nuclear programme lacks “cohesion” while he was speaking about the aggressive attitude of Russia and China.
The US president said that he has spent more time with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping than any other head of state in the world, 68 hours of which was in person.
Referring to China President Jinping, Biden said that he “understands what he wants but has an enormous array of problems”.
“How do we handle that? How do we handle that relative to what’s going on in Russia? And what I think is maybe one of the most dangerous nations in the world: Pakistan. Nuclear weapons without any cohesion,” the US president said, adding that despite a lot going on, the US has a hunk of opportunities to change the dynamic in the second quarter of the 21st century.