Pakistan willing to play positive role to bridge US-China differences: PM

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif says Pakistan is willing to play a positive role to bridge the US-China differences in the interest of peace and stability in the world.

In a wide-ranging interview with Newsweek, he said Pakistan has traditionally maintained good relations with both countries and historically, it was Pakistan that acted as a bridge in opening up relationship between them.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan continues to highlight the need for avoidance of a confrontational approach.

He said the bloc politics and any drift towards cold war will not produce any positive results but would be counterproductive for growth and stability.

Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan strongly believes that inter-state relations should be based on mutual respect and peaceful resolution of disputes by upholding the principles of the UN charter and international law.

On tensions with India, the Prime Minister said Pakistan desires good relations with all neighbours, but New Delhi’s illegal and unilateral actions of August 5, 2019 in the Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir are a huge setback to Islamabad’s efforts to build regional peace.

He said Pakistan has always been ready to promote peace in the region on the basis of mutual respect and sovereign equality.

He said the core issue between India and Pakistan is the Jammu and Kashmir dispute, the resolution of which will open new vistas of cooperation in the region.

On the deteriorating economic and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, the Prime Minister said our message to the international community would be to remain engaged, continue to assist the Interim Afghan government in key social and economic areas, and unfreeze Afghanistan’s financial assets to help build a sustainable economy.