Monday, 27 October, 2025 | 4 Jamadiul Awwal, 1447
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Rs 50.00 | Vol XVI No 110 | 48 Pages Karachi Edition
US SEES OPPORTUNITY TO DEEPEN STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH PAKISTAN: RUBIO
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SECRETARY OF STATE SAYS STRONGER TIES WITH ISLAMABAD NOT AT INDIA’S EXPENSE, CALLING PAKISTAN–US TIES ‘ENCOURAGING AND FORWARD-LOOKING’
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WASHINGTON AGENCIES
HE United States sees a major opportunity to deepen its strategic partnership with Pakistan and broaden cooperation beyond counterterrorism, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday, emphasizing that the renewed engagement with Islamabad does not come at the expense of Washington’s historic ties with India. Speaking at a press briefing in Washington, Rubio said that the strengthening of relations between the US and Pakistan reflected a pragmatic, multi-vector foreign policy approach. Responding to a question on whether New Delhi had raised concerns over Washington’s growing closeness with Islamabad, he said, “They really haven’t—I mean, we know they’re concerned for obvious reasons because of the tensions that have existed between Pakistan and India historically. But I think they have to understand, we
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NOTES MATURITY IN INDIA’S RESPONSE TO CLOSER US–PAKISTAN ENGAGEMENT, SAYING PARTNERSHIP AIMS TO GO BEYOND COUNTERTERROR COOPERATION
have to have relations with a lot of different countries.” According to a transcript of the briefing released by the State Department, the secretary of state said, “We see an opportunity to expand our strategic relationship with Pakistan, and that’s our job—to figure out how many countries we can work with on
things of common interest.” Rubio praised India’s diplomatic maturity, noting that New Delhi also maintained partnerships with countries outside the US orbit. “They have some relationships with countries that we don’t have relationships with,” he remarked. “It’s part of a mature, pragmatic foreign policy. I don’t think anything we’re doing with Pakistan comes at the expense of our relationship or friendship with India, which is deep, historic, and important.” When asked if the recent improvement in ties with Islamabad stemmed from Pakistan’s recognition of the role played by US President Donald Trump in defusing tensions between India and Pakistan during their four-day military escalation, Rubio said, “I think they appreciated it.”
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Trump says will get Pak-Afghan conflict ‘solved very quickly’ KUALA LUMPUR AGENCIES
United States President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he would get the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan “solved very quickly,” calling Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and COAS Field Marshal Asim Munir “great people.” Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul flared up earlier this
month over accusations of terrorism, as border clashes killed 23 Pakistani troops as well as 200 Taliban and affiliated terrorists after an attack by Kabul, which it claimed was retaliation for Islamabad conducting air strikes in its territory. A first round of talks in Doha last weekend led to a ceasefire agreement, with both governments seeking to firm up the agreement in more talks yesterday.