Blinken Advises Pakistan's Bhutto To Have ‘Responsible Relationship With India’

Have a responsible relationship with India, US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken said to his Pakistani counterpart, Bilawal Bhutto on Monday. Both leaders were meeting on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in Washington. 

In recent times, especially after the formation of the new government in Islamabad, the US and Pakistan have shown renewed efforts to mend their strained ties following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan.

After the meeting, Blinken said, “We are meeting when Pakistan’s one-third area is under water. We have a sense of urgency and a sense of determination and looking ahead to rebuilding bilateral ties.” 

The US also announced USD 10 million for food security assistance to Pakistan. However, many believe that India will be the main ally of the US in this region.

Earlier, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar commented on the US-Pak relationship, saying that it’s a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well nor serving American interests and it is the duty of the US to reflect the merits of this relationship and what they get from it.

Jaishankar also commented on the recent F-16 deal between the US and Pakistan, he said, “For someone to say I am doing this because it counts as a counter-terrorism act, but when you are talking about aircraft, like the F-16 where everybody knows where they get employed and their use. You are not fooling anybody by saying these things." 

He further said, “If I were to speak to the American policy-maker, I would say, what you are doing.”