Masood Khan welcomes new momentum in Pak-US ties

MUZAFFARABAD: Sardar Masood Khan, former AJK president described Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir’s recent meeting with US President Donald Trump as a new “strategic moment” in the trajectory of Pakistan-US relations.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with a leading news channel, Ambassador Khan highlighted that while optics of the meeting were encouraging, the substance lay in the new frameworks of cooperation on peace, security, and economic transformation. He underlined that Pakistan has been assigned a central role in regional peace efforts, particularly in the Middle East.

“Pakistan and Saudi Arabia’s unity has been pivotal in persuading President Trump and his team to avoid escalation in Gaza and to work instead toward a sustainable solution for Palestine.

The roadmap presented by US Special Representative Steve Witkoff is evidence that our diplomacy is being recognized,” he said. On bilateral matters, he noted that the meeting produced significant economic breakthrough.

The US reduced tariffs on Pakistani exports to the lowest in the region, unlocking major opportunities in Pakistan’s largest trading market. He welcomed recent US investments in critical minerals-antimony, lithium, nickel, copper, and rare earths-valued at trillions of dollars, describing them as vital for global industries from smartphones, electric vehicles to defence technology and alternate energy. “Pakistan holds trillions of dollars in untapped reserves. This partnership anchors our relations in a solid economic foundation,” he noted.