Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs Chinmaya IAS Academy – Current Affairs
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Washington may seek Pak. assistance in securing a deal to end war in Afghanistan
Pakistan expressed hopes on Tuesday that Prime Minister Imran Khan’s maiden trip to the White House later this month would help repair its acrimonious relationship with Washington as the U.S. seeks its help in ending the war in Afghanistan. Observers believe that the nearly 18-year conflict will be the major focus of talks between Mr. Khan and President Donald Trump when they meet on July 22, as Washington presses for Pakistani assistance in securing a peace deal. “Pakistan has been facilitating the U.S.-Taliban talks in good faith, underscoring that it remains a shared responsibility,” Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said during a seminar in Islamabad. Mr. Khan and Mr. Trump have clashed in the past, with the Pakistani premier once describing a potential meeting with the U.S. president as a “bitter pill” to swallow.
But on Tuesday, Mr. Qureshi said that Mr. Trump’s invitation to the Pakistani PM reflected the “importance of the relationship for both sides”. Relations between Pakistan and the U.S. have been turbulent since Mr. Trump took office in 2017, with the U.S. leader frequently singling out Islamabad for failing to rein in extremists and being an unfaithful partner in the fight against militants.
