Islamabad, Jan. 2 (TNS): Minister of Defence Khurram Dastagir on Tuesday said that the National Security Committee (NSC) meeting reviewed provoking statements by US officials, including President Donald Trump, for the past few months.
The minister, in an interview with BBC Urdu, said that Tuesday’s meeting of the NSC observed that ‘better results can be yielded if all the stake-holders cooperate and jointly struggle for peace in Afghanistan and fight against terror, instead of achieving objectives through negative statements’.
He further said that “straightforward talks will be held with the US, yet in a courteous manner”.
Dastagir said if Trump only understands the ‘language of dollars’, then not only did we invest our own resources in the war on terror but did not demand anything in return for it, for we are serious in eradicating terrorism.
Asked if Pakistan would demand an apology from the US over the statements, he said Trump is the elected president of the United States and so we take his tweets seriously, however, the matter has not yet gone that far.
NSC session expressed its disappointment over US President Donald Trump’s anti-Pakistan statement and decided not to take measures in haste in reply to US accusations.
A statement added that during visits by US officials, it was decided to move forward with mutual trust and cooperation, which would also lead to stability in Afghanistan.
