Seems US didn’t like Pak stand on Ukraine conflict: Asif

ISLAMABAD: Federal Defence Minister Khwaja Muhammad Asif said on Saturday Pakistan wanted relations with the US based on mutual respect.

However, he added, it seems the US did not like Pakistan’s impartial stand on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Speaking in Geo News programme Naya Pakistan Shahzad Iqbal Ke Saath, he said Pakistan’s nuclear capability was the most effective deterrent for peace in the region.

He said Pakistan had been an ally of the US since the 1950s. However, how the superpower supported Pakistan in its difficult times was history. “We must learn lessons from history; otherwise it would not forgive us as a nation.”

Asif said President Joe Biden’s statement showed he had forgotten the history; he had forgotten what Pakistan had done for his country in the past. He said President Biden needed to strike a balance in his opinion about the security of Pakistan’s nuclear assets.

The minister said Pakistan gave a careful and calculated reaction over American president’s statement, which was good.

To a question, the defence minister said the American president’s statement about Pakistan’s nuclear assets had practically ended the foreign country conspiracy, claimed by Imran Khan after change of his government.

To another question, Kh Asif said no legislation was in process for amending the Army Act. He said Ansar Abbasi was a knowledgeable journalist and he might have some sources of information but he was not aware of any such development.