US must be careful while enhancing ties with India, says Dennis Kux

By Ijaz Kakakhel

ISLAMABAD: The US government must be very careful while enhancing ties with India because it has direct impact on Pakistan, said Ambassador (r) and a senior scholar at Woodrow Wilson Centre Washington, DC, Dennis Kux on Thursday.

During a roundtable discussion on “US Policy Towards South Asia”, Kux admitted that the relationship between US and India has increased tremendously as compared to Pakistan, but the fact is that it was India, which grows and reaches in such a level. However, the US has decades long old relation with Pakistan and it should be maintained, he said, adding, about three million Indians are living in US as compared to one million Pakistanis and both are contributing in development of US economy.

About US-Pakistan relations, Kux said there were multiple problems arising one after another and it may be Taliban, militant, Haqani network, nuclear and other issues. Militant group including Haqani network, Mullah Umar and other characters should move on and the problem should be resolved, he added. Due to AQ Khan network, the US was unable to make any nuclear deal with Pakistan, he said, adding, while in case of India US has some business relations. India is a responsible state and fully controlled its proliferation and its export to any other country, he maintained.

He said recently India and Afghanistan had developed strategic relationship. “We have common interest in Afghanistan and this is particularly related to the restoration of peace,” he said. US have several agreements with Pakistan but have no such arrangements with India, he said, adding, the US government has tried its level best to protect Pakistan’s interest after withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan.

The ambassador hoped that the US government had established economic relations with Pakistan to further cementing ties with old ally. He also said that the US sought amicable solution of decade old Kashmir dispute through bilateral talks. He also claimed that US President Barack Obama also sought stable Pakistan, India and Afghanistan in best interest of their people and region.

Kux said US would not repeat the mistake to leave the region alone it as did in 1989 after withdrawal of Russian forces from Afghanistan. “The US never wants to go wasted its billion of US dollars already invested in Afghanistan and will not leave the region alone rather continue its assistance in the region,” he claimed.

Answering to a question, he said why the US will try to destabilise Pakistan rather America wants to help Pakistan in every field. He admitted that US forces could not move freely in Afghanistan without support of Pakistan and Pakistan also needs US supports on several issues. If the US left the region alone, then Taliban, Haqani network and others again come in to power and destabilize Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is not in the interest of Pakistan also, he added. Replying to another question, he said the US forces were in Afghanistan only due to 9/11 incident.

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