Pakistan PM pushes for deeper economic and security ties with visiting US delegation

Members of a US delegation call on Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on April 9, 2025. (PID)

• Shehbaz Sharif encourages US companies to invest in Pakistan’s minerals sector, calls it a ‘priority area’
• The visiting delegation also discusses Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue scheduled for June this year

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday reiterated his administration’s desire for closer collaboration with the United States in trade, investment and counterterrorism during a meeting with a visiting American delegation attending the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum in Islamabad.
The US and Pakistan have had a complex relationship, ranging from close defense cooperation during the Cold War, particularly after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, to more strained and uneven ties in recent decades.
Despite challenges, Islamabad has sought to broaden and deepen relations with Washington. However, its ambition to pivot to an export-driven economy by expanding global trade took a hit when President Donald Trump imposed a 29 percent tariff on Pakistani goods last week.
Still, the visiting US delegation, led by Eric Meyer, Acting Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, praised Pakistan for hosting the investment forum and expressed American interest in the country’s mineral sector.
“While underscoring the significance of Pakistan-US relations not only in the bilateral context but also for regional peace and security, the Prime Minister expressed Pakistan’s desire to work with President Trump and his Administration to strengthen bilateral relations with the United States,” Sharif’s office said in a statement after the meeting.
“The Prime Minister underscored the importance of enhanced cooperation in areas of mutual interest including trade and investment, as well as counterterrorism,” it added.
Sharif also encouraged US companies to invest in Pakistan’s minerals sector, calling it a “priority area” with immense potential.
Meyer congratulated Pakistan on organizing the two-day event and acknowledged the interest of American firms in exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan’s mining industry.
Separately, the American official met Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and held detailed discussions on bilateral cooperation in counterterrorism, anti-smuggling and narcotics control.
Both sides agreed to enhance collaboration, with Naqvi highlighting that a Pakistan-US Counterterrorism Dialogue scheduled for June in Islamabad would be “an important step in strengthening joint efforts.”
Meyer condemned last month’s deadly terrorist attack on the Jaffer Express, a passenger train targeted in Balochistan province by separatist militants, and offered condolences for the loss of life.
“Pakistan cannot fight this war alone,” Naqvi said. “The international community must support it.”
He noted that, like the US, Pakistan was also grappling with the issue of illegal immigration, referring to the presence of Afghan nationals in the country whom the government is working to repatriate to the neighboring state.
Naqvi also expressed hope the American delegation’s participation in the minerals forum would serve as a milestone in advancing investment and bilateral ties.