LAHORE - Pakistan's strategic ties with the United States are of crucial importance and it needs further collaborative diplomatic efforts to stamp out the menace of terrorism in the region and seeking a settlement to end the war in Afghanistan since improved security situation and the economic reforms could lead to revival of the economy in Pakistan.

This was stated during a seminar on “Implications of Trump’s new policy on South Asia” held under the aegis of Pak-US Business Council. Pak-US Business Council Founder President Iftikhar Malik said that in prevailing odd circumstance, US cannot ignore Pakistan despite its constraints relations with its old ally in war against terrorism. For too long, the US has viewed the bilateral relationship only through the prism of Afghanistan. To achieve real progress, the US must make clear its enduring commitment to Pakistan’s stability and economic growth, he added. Criticising the current Trump administration policy on Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said by inviting New Delhi to play a larger role in Afghanistan, the new Trump policy, instead of soothing Islamabad’s fears about an Indian presence in Afghanistan, has inflamed Pakistani anxieties.