Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan on Wednesday told US acting ambassador in Pakistan John Hoover that his party believes in strong and trust-based relations with Washington.
The PTI chief, whose party emerged victorious in the July 25 general election, told the US envoy, who came to Bani Gala to congratulate Imran Khan on victory of his party in the polls, that ups and downs in the bilateral relations are due to lack of mutual trust. He said that his party is looking forward to have strong diplomatic as well as stable economic and trade relations with the US.
On Afghanistan issue, Imran said Pakistan wishes complete stability in the country, adding that peace in Afghanistan is in the interest of both Pakistan and the US. Imran said that he has always emphasised on the need for political solution of Afghanistan issue. “War and use of force is not the solution,” he said.
Separately, in a telephonic conversation with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Imran Khan accepted the invitation to visit Iran. The Iranian president congratulated the prime minister-in-waiting on winning the general elections and invited him to visit Iran which he accepted, a statement issued by the PTI read. Last week, Khan conveyed to Tehran’s envoy in Islamabad Mehdi Honardoost during a meeting at the Bani Gala residence that Pakistan was ready to play a constructive role for resolution of issues between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Published in Daily Times, August 9th 2018.
