Ex-US ambassador to Pakistan, Cameron Munter said on Tuesday that Pakistan is out of America’s “do more” pressure.
Munter, a retired diplomat who now works as a global consultant, spoke at the Margalla Dialogue 2021 today where he touched upon US-Pakistan relations.
“It is crucial for Pakistan to focus on economic issues,” said Munter. He said the US saw the problems of South Asia associated with terrorism and Afghanistan for the last two decades, adding that Washington’s present understanding of Pakistan is based on dated ideas. Munter said the US was directing its entire energy on tackling climate change, coronavirus, trade and digital governance issues.
“The US is not looking at this region with the same perspective as Pakistan,” he said, adding that like Islamabad, Washington is also facing a host of problems. Speaking about the US, he said it would be a mistake to consider the US too weak or present it as an all-powerful country. He also delved into international politics, saying that it was not possible to limit warfare to generals or diplomatic missions to ambassadors alone.
“The foreign minister and diplomats are not just Pakistan’s representatives; its students, cricketers and teachers also represent the face of the country,” he added. He said that “America’s defeat” in Afghanistan had changed the regional situation, adding that Pakistan was no longer under pressure from the US to “do more”.
“It is a crucial opportunity for Pakistan, considering that it is no longer under America’s “do more” pressure,” he added. Munter said it is important for Pakistan to outline fresh priorities.
