28 April: Pakistan has called on the United States to resume its military assistance and arms sales that were suspended by the former Trump administration in 2018.
The request was made by Pakistan’s ambassador to Washington, Masood Khan, at a seminar on Thursday, where he highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation in the region.
“It is important that the US restores — for Pakistan — Foreign Military Financing and Foreign Military Sales, suspended by the previous administration,” Khan said, according to Dawn newspaper.
He added that Pakistan needed US support to modernize its military and enhance its counter-terrorism capabilities.
Khan also urged the US to help resolve the Kashmir dispute between Pakistan and India, saying that it was a “flashpoint” that could trigger a nuclear war.
He said that Pakistan was ready to engage with India in a dialogue, but India had to create a conducive environment by ending its human rights violations and military siege in occupied Kashmir.
The ambassador also expressed Pakistan’s support for the Afghan peace process and said that Islamabad wanted a stable and inclusive government in Kabul that would not allow any terrorist group to operate from its soil.
He said that Pakistan had facilitated the US-Taliban talks and was now working with other regional and international partners to ensure a smooth transition and prevent a civil war in Afghanistan.