ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a telephonic call to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday, appreciated Pakistan’s counter-terrorism efforts and promised full cooperation from his country in countering all such threats.
Thanking the prime minister for receiving his telephone call, Secretary Rubio encouraged Pakistan, which enjoys excellent ties with Iran, to continue playing its role in the ongoing peace efforts with Iran. He shared his desire to enhance bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and the US, across all areas of shared interests.
He also appreciated Pakistan’s resolve to uphold the ceasefire understanding with India, as well as its sustained efforts for peace in the region. In this context, he encouraged Pakistan, which enjoys excellent ties with Iran, to continue playing its role in the ongoing peace efforts with Iran.
He noted that the US was committed to working closely with Pakistan to promote regional as well as global peace and stability.
The two sides agreed that talks between Pakistan and the US must now be translated into tangible actions, across all areas.
During their warm and cordial conversation, PM Shehbaz conveyed his best wishes for President Donald Trump, the PM media office said in a statement. He praised the US president for his bold leadership and appreciated Secretary Rubio’s proactive diplomacy that played a pivotal role in helping Pakistan and India to arrive at a ceasefire understanding and averting a major catastrophe between the two nuclear-armed states.
The PM noted with great satisfaction the most cordial and productive discussion between President Trump and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir in Washington, earlier this week. He also stressed the need for frequent high-level engagements to build upon this positive momentum in Pakistan-US bilateral relations. In this regard, he reiterated his invitation to President Trump to undertake an official visit to Pakistan and said that he too, was looking forward to meeting President Trump at his earliest convenience.
The premier added that President Trump’s positive statements about Pakistan were most encouraging for a durable peace in South Asia, which could only be made possible by initiating meaningful dialogue between Pakistan and India.
In this context, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s willingness for talks with India on all outstanding issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, the Indus Water Treaty, trade and counter-terrorism.
The situation in the Middle East, particularly the Iran-Israel crisis, was also discussed, where the PM emphasised the need to find a peaceful resolution to the grave crisis, through dialogue and diplomacy.
He stated that Pakistan was ready to play a constructive role in any effort for peace in the current situation, which was deeply worrying, not only for the region, but for the entire world.
Recalling President Trump’s focus on trade, the PM stated that Pakistan and the US needed to work together to advance mutually beneficial cooperation across a wide range of areas, including trade, investment, energy, mining, rare earth metals, and IT.
On security and counter-terrorism, the PM reaffirmed Pakistan’s resolve to deal with the menace of terrorism from the entire country, particularly the threat from BLA, TTP and other militant groups.
The PM also reiterated his invitation to Secretary Rubio to visit Pakistan, at an early date.
Separately, the ISPR said in a statement on Friday that Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, during his interaction with scholars, analysts, policy experts and representatives of leading international media outlets in Washington D.C. stated that Pakistan had been on the front lines of the global war against terrorism, and it had rendered immense sacrifices, both human and economic in pursuit of a safer and more secure world.
He underscored the immense potential for a broader, multidimensional relationship between Pakistan and the United States, built upon mutual respect, shared strategic interests, and economic interdependence. His comprehensive and candid exchanges with scholars, analysts, policy experts and representatives of leading media outlets included an evaluation of the long-standing Pakistan-US partnership. The COAS underlined the historical convergences between the two nations, particularly in areas such as counter-terrorism, regional security, and economic development.
The field marshal also reaffirmed that Pakistan continues to play a responsible and proactive role in mitigating regional tensions and promoting cooperative security frameworks.
The interaction with prominent US think tanks and representatives of the strategic affairs institutions, provided an opportunity to articulate Pakistan’s principled stance on key regional and global issues, and to deepen understanding of Pakistan’s strategic outlook. The army chief provided a detailed exposition of Pakistan’s balanced approach to regional and global conflicts, advocating for dialogue, diplomacy, and adherence to international law. He also highlighted Pakistan’s unwavering commitment to regional peace and stability, and its constructive role in fostering a rules-based international order.
The field marshal provided details of Maarka-e-Haq and Operation Bunyanum Marsoos and elaborated on Pakistan’s perspective on terrorism, noting the malign influence of certain regional actors in sponsoring and perpetuating terrorism as a tool of hybrid warfare.
Asim Munir shed light on Pakistan’s remarkable untapped potential, particularly in the domains of information technology, agriculture, and its vast and underexploited reserves in the mining and mineral sectors. He invited international partners to explore collaborative opportunities in these sectors to unlock shared prosperity.
The participants noted the openness and clarity of the COAS’s perspectives and appreciated Pakistan’s consistent and principled policies.
The interaction was marked by a spirit of mutual understanding and was widely regarded as a positive step toward enhancing strategic dialogue between Pakistan and the United States. The engagement reflects Pakistan’s commitment to transparent diplomacy, international engagement, and the pursuit of peaceful coexistence through principled and proactive dialogue, the ISPR statement said.