US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in his brief remarks to the media following the meeting with Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on October 4, Tillerson expressed concerns about the future of Pakistan’s government, stressing that Washington wanted a stable government in Islamabad.
This remarks surprise for Pakistan observers in Washington, his comments on stability of the government in Islamabad alarmed many. This marks the first time a US official has publicly addressed the political conflict in Islamabad, clearly backing the political setup.
He said the new war strategy was not just about Afghanistan. “This is about the importance of Pakistan and Pakistan's long-term stability, as well. We have concerns about the future of Pakistan's government, too. In terms of them, we want their government to be stable. We want it to be peaceful. And, many of the same issues they're struggling with inside of Pakistan are our issues.”
He added: “So, we think there is opportunity to strengthen that relationship. We're going to be working very hard at all levels from the State Department, to the Defense Department, to our intelligence communities, as well as economic, commerce opportunities, as well.
“So, it really is a regional approach and Pakistan, I think, is critical to the long-term stability of the region,” he said.
This was an obvious reference to concerns, expressed both publicly and privately, by US and Pakistani officials since Aug 21, when President Donald Trump announced his new strategy for South Asia in a speech from the White House. Informed leaks to the media indicated that the US-Pakistan relationship was on the brink of a break-up.
Even on October 4, a number of news outlets in the US and Pakistan reported that the Trump administration could strike Pakistan out of its list of major non-Nato allies and stop, or greatly reduce, its economic and military assistance to Islamabad. Some reports also talked about the possibility of expanding drone strikes inside Pakistan to target alleged terrorist safe havens.
He explained that the new US strategy for South Asia “really is a regional approach, and Pakistan is critical, I think, to the long-term stability of the region”.