Islamabad: The growing ties between the United States and India have irked Pakistan, which feels insecure, officials here said.
A foreign ministry official said Pakistan had been trying to convince the US to stop relying too much on India, especially on the Afghanistan issue, but there had been no real success so far.
Just before his visit to Pakistan, US secretary of state Rex Tillerson sent a strong message to Islamabad that his country wanted to “deepen co-operation” to counter the “growing Chinese influence” in Asia.
Mr Tillerson, expected to arrive in Pakistan next week, described India as a “partner” in a “strategic relationship.” He said the US can never have the same relationship with “non-democratic” China — a trusted friend of Pakistan.
Another official at the foreign ministry said that Pakistan planned a “give all” policy during talks with the US secretary of state to save the Pak-US alliance.
“We cannot afford to give away the US to India. They are already in a marriage of convenience. For the past few weeks, we have agreed to all their (the US) demands to woo them. At this point, we are ready for a give all policy. Let’s admit, we may be able to live without the US but that won’t be too easy,” he said.
The official said Pakistan had been successful in raising the trust level with the US but the ties were far from “normal.”
“Washington wants us to prove loyalty. We have our own limitations. With our friendly gestures, Tillerson’s visit is expected to be fruitful,” he said.
He said Pakistan cannot allow India to penetrate into Afghanistan further with the help of the US. “They (India) are already using the Afghan soil against us, more Indian access (to Afghanistan) means, more problems for Pakistan,” he alleged.
