Speaking in Washington a day after talks with President Barack Obama, Sharif said Pakistan was ready to help Afghanistan revive peace talks with Taliban rebels.
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The US State Department approved the request of Pakistan in early April, in which it they demanded a billion dollars worth of military hardware and equipment, looking at Pakistan as a very important country for U.S. foreign policy and national interests.
The talks broke down after the Afghan intelligence agency said Taliban leader Mullah Omar had been dead for two years.
He said that escalation of tension between Pakistan-India poses threat to peace in the region and USA should avert it.
He said the USA has lauded Pakistan’s bold action against terrorists besides acknowledging the sacrifices the country rendered during this course.
Replying to a question on the appointment of new NSA in Pakistan, Mr Swarup said, it is the internal matter of Pakistan.
“In this context, the Prime Minister apprised the President about Pakistan ” s resolve to take effective action against United Nations-designated terrorist individuals and entities, including Lashkar-e-Taeba (LeT) and its affiliates, as per its worldwide commitments and obligations under UN Security Council resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force”, the statement added.
US-Pakistan relations have been rocky over issues such as Pakistan’s secretive nuclear arsenal, and the country’s links to extremist groups.
He said the MQM had now taken its issue at the worldwide forum, and the White House demonstration was another official submission of their protest.
The USA government furthermore stated during the meeting that they are requesting for Pakistan to finally make a unilateral declaration of “restraint” in light of developing their new nuclear weapons systems, including small tactical nuclear weapons, Reuters reports.
The joint statement released covers their discussion about economic growth, trade, investment, civil society cooperation, education, climate change, energy, promoting global health, regional security, counter-terrorism, defense cooperation, cyber-security, strategic stability, nuclear security and non-proliferation.
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A senior official of the U.S. administration said the United States appreciated Pakistan’s efforts to advance an Afghan-led reconciliation process, but “had repeatedly stressed that “kill or talk” is not the choice”. Building on the foundation of the Enhanced Partnership for Pakistan Act, President Obama reiterated a commitment to comprehensive bilateral cooperation through both the public and private sectors, into the future.
