WASHINGTON: US Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Chris Van Hollen believes that President Joe Biden’s “off the cuff” remarks on Pakistan do not suggest that Washington’s policy towards Islamabad has changed.
“President Biden’s remarks were off the cuff [there is] no change in American policy,” said the Democratic party senator. He added that the US State Department’s explanation of the statement indicated that the presidential remarks were not made on purpose.
Hollen said that the Joe Biden-led US administration wants stronger Pakistan-US relations.
“We want integrated and stable relations with Pakistan,” assured the senator. He also added that bilateral contact between Washington and Islamabad had increased following the catastrophic floods.
The US lawmaker also shared that they had spoken to the American ambassador to Pakistan on the floods, saying that Washington was at the forefront of emergency aid given to Pakistan.
“The US is in constant contact with the Pakistani authorities on how to provide further assistance,” said the senator.
To a question about PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s claim that a US conspiracy toppled him, the senator said that allegations of American intervention in bringing down the PTI government was false.
