Islamabad denies Pompeo, Khan discussed terrorism in Pakistan

Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi address a press conference on Friday. (AN photo)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said on Friday that the US report of a telephone conversation between Prime Minister Imran Khan and US Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, inaccurately reported a mention of “terrorists operating in Pakistan.” “I say this with full confidence,” the foreign minister said at a press conference at the Foreign Office.
He announced that Pompeo is expected to visit Islamabad on Sept. 5, adding: “We believe the early interaction (between the two sides) will prove beneficial.”
Controversy surrounding the phone call between Prime Minister Imran Khan and the US Secretary of State emerged when the State Department said in a press statement on Thursday: “Secretary Pompeo raised the importance of Pakistan taking decisive action against all terrorists operating in Pakistan and its vital role in promoting the Afghan peace process.”
However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office described the State Department’s press release as “factually incorrect.” The Foreign Office further clarified that there was “no mention at all in the conversation about terrorists operating in Pakistan.”
“We stand by our stance,” the foreign minister said categorically.
Downplaying the controversy, Qureshi said that the conversation between the secretary of state and the prime minister was “very good.”
He added that Pompeo congratulated the prime minister and expressed his wish for “constructive engagement and productive bilateral relationship with the new government.”
“I look forward to Secretary Pompeo’s visit and to engaging with him for peace and stability and looking at areas where both countries stand to gain,” he said.
On bilateral relations between the two nations, he said that there was a need for understanding of the US position on Afghanistan to bring relations back to a high level the previously high level.
The foreign minister said the US had made huge investments in Afghanistan and it also was imperative for Pakistan to convey its “priorities and requirements” to Washington in order to have a better relationship.
“Peace in Afghanistan is vital for peace in Pakistan,” he said, adding that President Ashraf Ghani had started a peace process with “militants” and “we have to see what role Pakistan can assume in that.”
To a question about the presence of Daesh in Afghanistan, he said that Pakistan did not want to see an increase in the militant outfit’s footprint in the region.
When asked about India-Pakistan relations, he admitted that dialogue between the two countries was suspended and there was a need to create an “enabling environment” for constructive negotiations.
“We are not shy of engagement (with India),” he said, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan had clearly said that if India took one step for peace, Pakistan would take two steps.
“But it takes two to tango,” he added. “You cannot clap with just one hand. We have a positive stance and remain hopeful.”
The foreign minister said that his Chinese counterpart would visit Islamabad on September 8 describing the multi-billion dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as “an important development” in their relationship.
Qureshi said that Pakistan also wanted to benefit from the opportunities that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) offered to its member countries.
Talking about the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), he said that Pakistan was on the global watchdog’s grey list and “we are expected to show progress (on the action plan).”
“I will never want Pakistan to be on the blacklist since it entails negative economic and other consequences,” he said.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the Foreign Office where he was briefed on the country’s policy toward countries such as Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, India, Iran and the US.
The foreign minister said the premier’s visit to the Foreign Office showed that “this government takes its foreign engagements seriously.”
“The prime minister has stressed that he wants to see the Foreign Office effective and active,” he said.
“Our need is peace, regional peace. We need stability to progress and we need clarity in our objectives,” he added.