Pakistan–US ties are ‘indispensable,’ envoy tells DC forum

Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, Rizwan Saeed Sheikh, has described relations with Washington as indispensable rather than optional, urging pragmatic diplomacy and economic policy. Speaking at the Future Security Forum 2025 in Washington, DC, he said the two countries share a consequential partnership with scope for cooperation on security, climate and regional stability.

Sheikh thanked US leadership, including President Trump, for efforts he said helped end an 88-hour standoff, calling the intervention a vital step to prevent escalation in a volatile region. He also argued Pakistan’s foreign policy seeks balance, rejecting “camp politics,” and emphasised that ties with China rest on historical continuity and economic cooperation, including the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The envoy highlighted Pakistan’s climate vulnerabilities, pointing to repeated floods and new weather extremes that reverse development gains and deepen debt pressures. He reiterated Islamabad’s call for UN-backed mediation on the Kashmir dispute and said diplomacy remains Pakistan’s preferred path for managing tensions with India and Afghanistan.

On refugees, Sheikh said only undocumented Afghans are being repatriated and that cross-border movement should follow visa norms. He concluded by expressing readiness for Pakistan to act as an economic bridge and by welcoming peace initiatives related to the Ukraine conflict.